Because I Fought You
by AnimeFanGirl2223
Summary: Due to all the villain activity, UA is making their students pair up and live in the dorms. The only problem is they have no say in who they get placed with. Shoto still struggles with his dark past and his hate for All Might. Can Midoriya help? Or is he too worn down from Bakugo's furry to do anything? TodoDeku, BakuKiri; LEMON. *#BadAtSummaries* *#GiveItAChance*
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Friends! Thanks for taking a chance and reading my very first 'My Hero** **Academia' fanfic! I'm a bit of a spaz, but I'll do my best to post once a week or so. I have a lot of other stories I'm working on too *Sweatdrops*. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 1

Mr. Aizawa yawned heavily, zipping up his yellow sleeping bag as he prepared for his afternoon nap. "Before you go home, I know some of you have already heard the rumors so I guess it's best just to get it out in the open. Because of the recent upswing in villain activity, UA has deemed it necessary for all students to move onto campus if they haven't already. This also means that those of you who are already in our dorms will likely get a roommate in the next week. Alright, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow."

Midoriya, Ochaco, and Tenya walked out together, talking about what the new policy might mean for them since they didn't live in the dorms yet.

"Who do you think you'll move in with?" Ochaco asked, thinking the same question for herself.

"I don't know! Maybe they'll have us move into rooms with other students who are going to be in the dorms for the first time too." Midoriya answered, though that didn't seem like it was the most logical thing for the school to do.

"Perhaps they'll put students together who are compatible socially, or maybe they will place us with classmates that have something we lack so that we grow as students and as future hero's!" Tenya suggested.

"If that's the case then you might get to room with Bakugo, Deku!" Ochaco exclaimed, slightly making fun of the now distressed teen.

"That's not funny Uraraka! Kacchan will kill me if we're roommates! I'd spend so much time with the nurse that I'd flunk out of UA within a week!" Midoriya shouted, anxiety overwhelming him.

His two friends laughed nervously, unsure how true the One For All users words were.

* * *

~Time Skip: 2 Days (Friday afternoon)

Midoriya walked nervously to his new room, carrying his backpack and a lone box of personal items. Mr. Aizawa hadn't been very forthcoming with their dorm situation, so he had no idea what he would need to bring or who he'd be living with.

He silently dwelled on the matter, hoping that it was someone he was close to, or at the very least got along with on an acquaintance level. He knew Tenya wasn't his roommate, or the class rep would have said something already. So, that still left a large number of boys he could potentially live with, and the haunting thought it was Bakugo made his feet drag behind him.

"Room 203… 203…203…" he muttered nervously, reading the numbers on the wall until he was able to stop in front of his own. He took a deep breath and awkwardly reached for the handle, struggling to balance the large box in his free hand. Right as he was about to grab it, however, the door opened, revealing the ever-stoic fire and ice wielder.

"Todoroki!" he exclaimed, shocked that the icy-hot teen was going to be rooming with him. "You… uh… hi!"

The elder cocked his eyebrow slightly and stepped aside. "I've been waiting for you to get here so I can give you your key."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know you'd already moved in!" Midoriya explained, shuffling into the small space. He set his box and backpack down on the spare bed, inwardly cringing at how bland and uninviting the room was, despite the fact that Todoroki had seemingly unpacked all of his things.

Todoroki on the other hand, happened to breathe in as his new roommate awkwardly walked by, the scent making his heart beat faster. He blinked at the sensation and stubbornly took in a deep calming breath, pushing whatever he was feeling as far down as possible.

"I've been on campus since the beginning of the year," he stated, setting the spare key down on Midoriya's desk. Before the younger could answer, or make conversation, however, he headed back to the door and left without so much as a goodbye.

"Oh man… Todoroki seems like a private guy and now that I'm looking around, this room is super clean… like OCD clean… I bet he's really irritated that we have to live together. Maybe I should see if there is someone else I could room with so that he can have his space back…" Midoriya muttered, falling into another one of his personal rants.

After calming down, he quickly began unpacking, only to hesitate when he got to his All Might paraphernalia. He idly wondered how irritated Todoroki would be if he put up his posters and action figures. Not only did the teen seem to despise clutter or expression of any kind, but after hearing his miserable life story, he doubted any presence of the number one hero would go over well.

As his mind continued to debate the pros and cons of potentially pissing off his roommate, the door clicked and Todoroki reentered, seemingly unphased by the yelp his new roommate let out.

"So, you're a spaz all the time then?" Todoroki asked, though there was no amusement in his voice or eyes. His face was completely unreadable.

Midoriya's cheeks bled red in embarrassment, and he tried to apologize for wigging out, but that only made him become more erratic and anxious. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "I thought you were going out…"

"It's been almost two hours, and besides, I prefer to go to bed earlier rather than later," Todoroki explained, his intense eyes scanning over the recently unpacked items Midoriya brought until they rested on the multicolored posters.

Midoriya scratched his head nervously. He wasn't sure if it was in his mind, but it felt as if the room had become much colder, like Todoroki was slowly using his quirk to freeze him to death. "Uh… haha… I wasn't expecting to umm room with you… I can just take these h-home tomorrow…" he stuttered out, hoping to appease the boy before any conflict arose.

Heterochromatic eyes flickered up to green ones, a hard, blank stare meeting one filled with apprehension and fear. The elder walked over to his own bed and started pulling off his shirt, exposing the defined muscles of his back. "It's fine. Put up whatever you want." He finally answered stiffly.

Midoriya couldn't help but stare at the well-toned body he was faced with, his eyes flowing over the rippling muscles in awe and envy until he realized what the elder had said. "Wait, what?"

"I said it's your room too, so put up whatever you want. Even my father has to admit that he's second to our teacher so there really isn't a point in trying to act like he doesn't exist." Todoroki explained, hoping that the younger couldn't see how frustrated he actually was.

Not that the teen was angry with Midoriya for having the collectibles, or at All Might for being such a great hero. In reality, Todoroki was disappointed in himself for not being able to let go of the past. The green haired boy had tried his hardest to convince him that his fire quirk was his alone and that he didn't need to be his father's tool. But years of conditioning had forced him to believe otherwise, and the very thought of All Might filled him with jealousy, rage, and hurt.

"Oh… uh… are you sure it's okay with you?" Midoriya asked, fidgeting nervously from in his chair. "I know it's both our rooms but I wouldn't ever want to make you feel uncomfortable… it's just stuff after all!"

Todoroki nodded slowly. In his mind, he couldn't help but sigh at how utterly selfless and kind the smaller teen was. Everyone, including Shoto, could see that Midoriya wasn't confident in his abilities yet and that All Might was a huge source of encouragement during his most stressful times. And yet, here was this somewhat fragile boy, willing to pack away all of his emotional support items if it meant that he could make his classmate more comfortable.

" _Is that what we are..."_ he wondered, _"just classmates?"_

Todoroki felt his heart start to beat faster again, this time a clenching pain accompanying the already unwelcome physical response. He glanced back at Midoriya to assess the boy's appearance, noticing that he looked equally as uncomfortable. Any minute the teen would devolve into another mumbling fit.

He picked up a towel and his toiletries, hoping a shower would relax him.

* * *

~Time Skip: 3 Days (Monday Afternoon)~

Todoroki took a deep breath as he walked down the sidewalk. The weekend had past and Midoriya's half of the room was still missing the big cheesy grins and bulging muscles of All Might. In fact, the teen had only one small action figure on his desk which he often hid in a drawer whenever Shoto was around.

" _Should I talk to him about it? Maybe try explaining that I know how much All Might means to him? No… it's none of my business what he does or if he needs them to build his confidence. I didn't come here to make friends after all; It isn't my fault if he didn't accept my okay before."_ He thought, though guilt had already begun to push back against his cold, prideful outlook.

"Just get out of my way you stupid shit-nerd! A loser like you has no purpose at UA you fucking fuck!" Katsuki screeched, his hands already starting to smoke.

Todoroki's inner conflict was quickly interrupted by the vulgar shouting, and he stopped walking, his eyes fixed on Midoriya as he cowered away from the explosive blonde. He watched as Bakugo puffed himself up even more and nearly hovered over the ever-shrinking teen. The blonde grabbed the back of Midoriya's neck roughly, shaking him slightly while he once again threatened to cause an explosion on his 'shitty face'.

A feeling of anger started pooling in Todoroki's stomach at the sight. What right did Bakugo have to treat Midoriya with such disrespect and cruelty?

"I-I'm s-sorry, K-Kacchan…" Midoriya stuttered, his head hanging low.

"You're damn right to be sorry, Deku! Just do us all a favor and get the fuck out of here why don't you?!" Bakugo hissed, giving the already submissive teen a shove before stomping inside.

Todoroki noticed an oddly defeated look on his roommate's face and unconsciously started walking again, his pace much faster than it had been before. He closed the gap between them just as Midoriya finished picking up the books and papers he'd dropped.

"Oh! Hey Todoroki!" Midoriya exclaimed, his face quickly warping into a strained smile. "Are you going back to the room? I can give you some privacy if you w-"

"Why do you let him treat you like that?" Todoroki interrupted, his voice harsh with the anger he felt. He truly couldn't understand how someone who had powers like Midoriya would stand for it.

"Oh… Kacchan… He doesn't mean it really! I know he seems a little cruel, but I've always admired him for his strength and determination. Being that powerful makes him a bit of a handful though." The younger answered.

"So, you think I'm a handful as well? Or am I not as strong as Bakugo." Todoroki jabbed, hoping to make a point.

Midoriya's face went pale, understanding that he was either insulting the dual element users strength or his personality. _"Oh no… I've backed myself into a corner with that excuse! What am I supposed to say?!"_ his mind squeaked. "No! You're super cool and really tough too! Maybe a little bit cold and kind of scary, but if you just smiled more it would-"

Todoroki's blank stare stopped Midoiya's rambling instantly as it occurred to him that maybe the elder didn't enjoy being told that his personality, though not as abrasive as Bakugo's, still needed work. He felt like his mouth was full of cotton and snapped it shut, silently praying for his blundering to end soon.

"It doesn't make sense for someone to allow another to be so cruel, simply because they are strong." Todoroki finally stated, doing his best to control his ever increasing heart rate. It wouldn't be long before he was breathing out ice crystals or worse, steam.

"No, no! You're completely right! Sorry! I'll just… umm… bye!" Midoriya choked out, turning to run off.

Todoroki stared after him, the feeling of frustration still weighing on his mind. It bothered him greatly that such a kind boy would take abuse from someone like Bakugo, but at the same time, he hadn't failed to notice the scars and crookedness of Midoriya's once smooth hand. If he was honest with himself, he'd done the exact same thing to the poor teen.

He'd instigated a fight and rivalry between them just to stick it to his old man, and even worse, his refusal to listen had culminated in the stuttering boy permanently damaging his own body to prove a point. Afterward, he hadn't even bothered to apologize, or thank him for caring so much.

Knowing that he'd caused Midoriya pain in a similar way to Bakugo made his skin crawl, and he desperately felt the need to run after him. But Todoroki just started walking back to his room stiffly, hoping that something would get his mind off of his roommate.

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 **Okay! First chapter is over and done! I hope you liked it!**

 **PLEASE FOLLOW/FAVORITE/REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay... So I'm going for kind of a slow burn here. PLEASE DON'T GET BORED!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 2

~Time-Skip: 2 Weeks~

Midoriya snuck into the room quietly, hoping that his roommate was asleep to minimize the chance of them interacting. To his embarrassment, Todoroki was standing near his bed in just his boxers, a towel hanging over his face as he dried his di-colored hair. He swallowed hard when the elder looked over, a quizzical look on his face.

"What is it?" Todoroki asked, giving a brief glance down to see if there was something on his arm or side.

The younger's face turned bright red, and he covered his mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the mumbled apologies that began spewing out.

The dual-user kept his face blank despite how his heart began to flutter again, hating that he didn't understand what was causing it. "Was there something you wanted to speak with me about?" he finally asked.

Midoriya's flailing only seemed to increase at that. "Oh! No!" he answered, a bit too loudly, "I was just uhhh… going to my desk!"

Todoroki watched intently as the teen stalked over and sat down quickly, nearly falling out of the swivel chair. He was unsure of why his roommate had stared at him so oddly and then become embarrassed once caught. In truth, it made him somewhat nervous to be gazed at by the teen, and while he was naturally quiet, he wasn't really bashful. All at once, however, the erratic movement ceased and Midoriya turned his seat around.

"Actually, Todoroki, there is something…I…uh… wanted to apologize to you…" the teen stated, his head bowed slightly in what could only be regret.

"For what?" Todoroki asked, even more confused than he had been before.

The young hero rubbed the back of his head, keeping his eyes anywhere other than the still semi-naked teen. "Well, I know it's been a couple of weeks now, but I've felt bad about it ever since. It was rude of me to insinuate that you were too cold and distant before. I'm sure if I'd had your life growing up I would probably be hesitant to let people in too so, I just wanted you to know that I didn't mean anything by it!"

Todoroki blinked a few times. The now familiar tachycardia started budding in his chest again with a feeling he didn't recognize. It was just as intense as his anger when he saw Midoriya and Bakugo together, but this was somehow different, lighter. His mouth went dry as his roommate's freckled cheeks became lightly dusted with red again, a warmth spreading through him with every fidgeting move that the smaller boy made.

"…It's fine… I really didn't mind" he finally stated, throwing his wet towel in the hamper. _"What in the hell is wrong with me? What is this strange sensation flowing through me when I look at him?"_

* * *

Todoroki continued to stare at his rice, deep in thought. He'd begun to realize that since the Sports Festival, he'd been consumed by emotion every time he was around Midoriya. Usually, just seeing the teen would cause his heart to beat faster, spreading a warm, nervous comfort throughout his chest. But then there were also the times that he'd see Bakugo bullying the submissive hero, and that always lead to him being incredibly angry.

He wondered what the two sensations must mean. After so many years of living with Endeavor, he'd nearly shut his feelings out completely save for the ever-present hatred he held for his father. But now there was this boy that he'd fought in a silly school event, destroying his body for no other reason than to help him come to terms with the full range of his quirk.

All at once though, there were chopsticks waving around in front of him and he looked up to see none other than the one he'd been thinking about staring at him worriedly. He blinked and stayed silent, an unfamiliar burning sensation flaring on his cheeks.

Midoriya reached out his scarred hand and placed it flat against Todoroki's forehead, "hey… are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Your face is getting more and more red… and you kind of look sick."

Todoroki resisted the urge to propel himself away from the appendage, his heart thumping almost painfully. "I'm fine." He hoped that his tone sounded more confident than he felt.

"Deku!" came an overly excitable voice. Quickly following was Ochaco herself, her arms wrapping around Midoriya as she hugged him. "I feel like I haven't seen you at all since we moved into the dorms! It's so much easier to just stay in our rooms to study now right?!"

Todoroki watched as Midoriya's face became increasingly pink, and felt a painful lump starting to form in his throat at the sight. This time, he knew exactly what emotion he was suffering from… jealousy. He stood up quickly and turned to leave, his food left untouched on the table. After a few minutes, however, he heard a light pounding getting closer.

"Hey! Todoroki! Wait" Midoriya shouted, jogging to catch up to the now thoroughly irritated teen. He'd almost made it back to their room, but he knew that wouldn't help save him from those worried green eyes and subsequent questioning; they did live together after all.

"What is it, Midoriya." Todoroki practically growled, causing the smaller boy to flinch. He wanted to take back the tone but found his emotions wouldn't let him. He couldn't understand why jealousy of all things had flared up so suddenly, but he knew he needed time to figure it out.

"You didn't eat your dinner…" Midoriya stated, somewhat wincing at how obvious the statement was.

"Neither did you since you came running after me." Todoroki returned, his heterochromatic eyes boring down into the nervous teen.

"I… Do you want to get something somewhere else? My t-treat…" Midoriya offered, his voice shaking some.

Every fiber of Todoroki's being told him to say no, to continue to his room and shut the door in his rival's face for even considering asking such a question. But he couldn't. That warm sensation drew him back to the young hero, trapping him more tightly than any brainwashing quirk ever could.

"Fine."

* * *

"This place has great soup!" Midoriya explained as they entered a small restaurant.

Todoroki glanced over, unable to resist smirking at the younger. "Thank you for being considerate, but I'm not sick… This is fine though." He stated, adding the last part before Midoriya could apologize and suggest somewhere else as he knew the overly polite teen would.

Once they ordered an awkward silence settled over the two prospective heroes, neither sure what the other was thinking. It was Midoriya who broke the stalemate, certain that the stoic teen could go for hours in silence if he really needed to. "So… you've been acting a little strangely… Is everything alright?"

Todoroki really didn't know if he was being honest with himself; Midoriya's actions during the sports festival through him for a loop. He'd grown up in an environment where winning and being the best were the only things that mattered, and this peculiar boy had thrown away his chance at victory solely in the hope of getting through to him.

He felt his eyes lower, his pride unwilling to let him express how confused and weak he felt at that moment. Midoriya was the most inviting and non-threatening person he'd ever met, and he had no idea how to handle someone like that.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you if you don't want to… I understand" Midoriya continued. "I just want to know if you're okay or if there's anything I can do to help?"

The words spilled from Todoroki's lips before he could stop them, "so, are you and Ochaco dating or something?"

Midoriya let out an adorable, embarrassment filled squeak, one that set his heart beating frantically once again. "I expected you'd change the subject but wow! I didn't think that would be your choice of topic. I figured you'd bring up something without any real substance like the weather or schoolwork or something. Oh! Sorry… I'm rambling, again aren't I? Uh… no… ha-ha… we aren't dating…"

Todoroki felt that lump of jealousy in his chest grow slightly, making him a bit more intrusive than he usually was. He pushed the subject harder, unable to stop himself from prying into his roommate's love life. "But you want to?"

Midoriya's face turned scarlet, a sight that would have normally instigated or enhanced the warm, contented feeling Todoroki had become accustomed to feeling whenever he saw it. This time, however, it made him bite the inside of his lip.

"Well…no… Ochaco and I are…she's not really my type" the younger responded, his face still red.

Todoroki felt the weight he'd been suffering from ease slightly, and covertly licked the inside of his mouth, nursing the now bleeding cut from his teeth. A small part of his mind was pondering what Midoriya's type actually was. After all, the two small heroes were both overly enthusiastic, kind and well, small. If not someone like her, then was that his true reason for chasing after Bakugo? The thought scorched his insides, his face darkening.

Midoriya was too embarrassed to notice the initial relief flood over his dinner mate, and instead only saw the tense aftershock, his concern immediately returning in full force. _"Should I ask him about it?"_ he wondered, chewing on his lip in debate. _"No,"_ he finally decided, _"Todoroki isn't ready to talk about it yet and that's okay, I'll be there for him when he is…"_

"Here's your food!" The waitress chimed, breaking both teens from their thoughts.

Midoriya took a small, comforting breath and produced his usual shy smile. He could see that whatever Todoroki had been thinking about had brought on a terrible disposition, but he was used to handling moody people and shrugged it off; at least he didn't have to worry about the dual user blowing up the restaurant in anger.

" _I wonder what could have made him so upset all of a sudden. We were just talking about whether or not I liked Ochaco, so I doubt that could have been it"_ he mused, doing his best to lighten the tense atmosphere with polite, one-sided conversation.

* * *

~Time Skip: After Stain's Attack~

"AHHHH!" Midoriya screamed, waking both he and his roommate up from their equally restless sleep. He sat panting, his face buried in his knees for comfort as Todoroki went to turn on the lights.

"Midoriya?" the dual user asked, concerned.

"I… I'm fine… sorry, Todoroki…" he answered, "I was just having a bad dream."

"You've been having those a lot since we returned from our internships; is it about the Hero Killer?" The Shoto questioned.

The younger didn't answer verbally, just nodded his head weakly, still trying to control the small quakes that shook through him from residual fear and adrenaline. This dream was worse than the ones he'd previously had, probably because it wasn't just Iida and the Pro Hero 'Native' that he'd been unable to save. Now Todoroki was also in the nightmare.

Shoto was still standing awkwardly by the light switch, unsure of what to say or do to console the shaken teen. This was the fifth night they'd been back on campus after leaving the hospital, and it was the fifth night in a row that the boy had been plagued by whatever scene his mind had concocted to torment him.

He'd watched from the comfort of his own bed as Midoriya became restless, his freckled face glistening in sweat as it scrunched in fear and anger. Every night he'd thought about waking the boy or at least asking him about it the following morning. But, each time the sun came up he would lose his nerve, or convince himself that it wasn't his problem, even if the boy was his friend…roommate…

This time though, Midoriya had woken up screaming and the sight of his small form hunched over in terror was too much for him to ignore any longer. "Do you…" he started, doing his best to keep his face neutral, "uh… do you want to talk about it?"

Midoriya's head finally rose from his now wet knees, shock firmly etched into his tired face. "Todoroki…" he whispered. After taking a moment to let the question sink in, he tilted his head to the side slightly, green locks falling adorably around his cheeks as a small, appreciative smile graced his lips.

Todoroki felt his heart skip a beat and then pump quickly, his own face starting to heat up from the look he was receiving. He brushed his right hand through his hair, making sure to cool his flushing skin as covertly as possible before the teen noticed.

Midoriya brought his hand up to his own face, staring at the scars that covered it with an unknown expression. "You know… Iida and I would have died without you coming to help us. I know I've already said thank you, but I don't think it will ever be enough. Especially when I think about how you were hurt too… how easily you could have…"

His voice trailed off as if the words caused him too much pain or fear to continue. Todoroki stiffly walked over and sat down, somewhat startling the previously spaced-out teen. His eyes focused on Midoriya's hand, and he knew what he needed to say.

"You don't need to thank me for coming to aid you, Midoriya, or worry about what could have happened to me. I only have a couple of scars from fighting with Stain" he explained, shifting his left forearm for Midoriya to see. "Far less than the damage you suffered from helping me in the Sports Festival. I am still in your debt."

The younger smiled sadly before hesitantly reaching out to touch the two smooth scars that Stain's blades had left. "That's exactly what I'd expect from a cool guy like you Todoroki… but the truth is you don't owe me anything. It was my choice to do what I did in the arena and you aren't responsible for the problems my own quirk causes me. Besides, I'd never forgive myself if something happened to one of my friends because I couldn't be the hero I promised I would be."

Normally, Todoroki would have just nodded, or said nothing and left. Maybe this green-eyed force was rubbing off on him, or that he was finally starting to understand what a hero truly was, but he couldn't let him continue to feel so worthless, not after everything he'd done for so many people.

"That's not true!" he replied firmly, his heterochromatic eyes finally raising to meet Midoriya's. "Wasn't it you who showed me that heroes meddle in things that they don't have to? I could have ignored the text you sent and hoped that someone else would step in, but I chose to help you. Iida would have died without your intervention, and…"

He paused to think about his next words, knowing that speaking them aloud would inevitably lead to his stoic mask unraveling even further. "And…" he forced out, his voice becoming less strained with each syllable, "And I wouldn't have been able to assist as much as I did without you showing me how wrong I was about my destiny… without you giving me the push I needed to see my mother after so many years and accepting the fire quirk I inherited. You are every bit the hero you're striving to be. That's why All Might is in your corner, and Ochaco, and Iida, and… me as well…"

Midoriya's face lit up like a firework show, his green eyes sparkling with tears amidst his beet red face. "T-thank you… T-Todoroki… you're so cool…" he whispered.

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 **Okay my lovlies! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Things start to get a little more wild in Chapter 3!**

 **PLEASE: FOLLOW/FAVORITE/REVIEW because I really really need it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay… We're going to get a little bit more angsty this chapter. I just love seeing people fall apart, what can I say? Hehehe… *Sweatdrops because I know I'm a sadistic dork***

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 3

Todoroki ate his simple breakfast in peace, for perhaps the first time in years. Last night he'd finally been able to express some of the pent-up feelings he'd been trying to suppress and it was liberating, allowing him to just sit quietly amidst the chaos of the cafeteria, untroubled by the various chatter or his own personal problems.

He glanced around over his cup of tea, surveying how everyone was laughing and playing with their classmates. In the past, it had always irritated him that so many people his own age seemed to be carefree all the time, but now it was fascinating to him, and he wondered what conversations could possibly be making them all so happy.

"H-hey! Todoroki… Do you mind if we join you?" Midoriya asked, his nervous grin shining amidst the many faces.

Todoroki nodded, his cheeks heating ever so slightly. He felt almost excited at the prospect of sitting with him again, even if it wasn't to talk about something deep and emotional. But then he realized that Midoriya had said 'we' not 'I'.

His eyes flickered behind the green mop of hair and noticed Iida, Ochaco, Asui, and… Shinso of all people…trailing after the dopy teen. He sucked in a sharp breath and released it, the cold chill of his quirk cooling his now nervous body. _"What changed? I was so comfortable just a moment ago, even after agreeing to let Midoriya sit with me and now… Now I feel like I'm out of place… I don't know what to say; I don't know how to interact with all of these people."_

Whether he was ready or not, Midoriya and the others had arrived, taking their places at the small rectangular table. Asui and Ochaco sat across from him, while Iida and Shinso sat on the two sides, leaving the open seat directly beside him for Izuku to slip into.

Needless to say, the first few minutes were extremely awkward. Despite the fact that Shoto wasn't an explosively angry person like Bakugo, his quiet intimidation was just as unnerving to the other Class 1-A students, and no one had forgotten how dangerous speaking with Shinso could be. The only person at the table who seemed to think this was a good idea was Midoriya, who's animated voice finally broke the silence.

"Isn't this great! Shinso agreed to join us so we're making connections to people outside of Class 1-A. Not that the people in it aren't great, but, it's nice to branch out you know? We should ask Hatsume from the Support Course and someone from Class 1-B to join! Oh, and I guess maybe from the Business Course too, though I'm not sure they'd be interested…" Midoriya blabbered, his anxious mumbling bringing a lightness to the heavy air around them.

"I'm a little surprised that you've been asking me to hang out, seeing as I threatened your spot in the Hero Course and said such cruel things to you in the Sports Festival," Shinso commented, leaning his face in one hand as he lazily ate his breakfast.

Midoriya squeaked and flailed his arms around before answering. "No! It's fine! You had to say that stuff so that I'd speak and you could use your quirk against me. Besides! We all wanted to win and being a hero is the greatest profession ever. My quirks backlash is really bad so I can understand feeling like everyone else with flashy abilities has it a lot easier. I can't blame you for how you feel since I completely understand! When all of us are pros we can help each other… I mean with an awesome quirk like yours I don't doubt I'll need your help a lot."

Todoroki clicked his tongue silently. As usual, Midoriya was a peacemaker, but it still bothered him how little confidence he seemed to have in his own strength, and how formidable he would no doubt be in the future. He watched Shinso's reaction, noticing how his bored face seemed to soften some at the spastic teen's words. _"It seems I'm not the only one who can't help but feel at ease around Midoriya."_

The other three seemed to calm down as well, Ochaco starting up conversations about homework and how much she enjoyed living with Asui, the frog's cheeks taking on the slightest color of pink at the confession. Iida and Tsu would chime in occasionally, their no-nonsense replies easily making Midoriya laugh. Todoroki glanced over at Shinso again, noting that the two of them were the quiet ones out of the group, though Shinso seemed much more comfortable around everyone than he did.

"What do you think, Todoroki?" Midoriya asked, catching the dual user off guard. He'd been so focused on trying to take in every detail that he'd missed what was asked. He turned slightly to see those big green eyes staring at him, shining with interest.

"I wasn't listening…" Todoroki admitted, hoping his face wasn't as red as he thought it was. "What was the question?"

"We were talking about what might be on the Final exams" Asui explained. "What do you think they will have us do during the practical?"

The dual user calmed down some, happy that it was something he could analyze logically and wouldn't need any prior 'friend experience' to answer. "They've used robots for both the entry exams and for the Sports Festival. This helps to cut down on the possibility of student injury so they could use them again."

As he spoke, he glanced at Midoriya, whose eyes now held slight guilt. He followed the smaller boys path of vision until it landed on Shinso, who seemed to be picking at his food. It occurred to Todoroki that this conversation, though unintentional, was leaving the General Studies student out, and Midoriya was upset about it.

Midoriya opened his mouth, and Todoroki knew he was about to say something to include the brainwashing hero. _"This is it! This is how I can be a part of the conversation."_

"We could give you some tips, for when you join our course next year, Shinso." Todoroki blurted out, shocking everyone at the table. He could feel the other student's eyes on him, but the only ones he really cared about were Midoriya's.

"That… that would be great." Shinso answered, a small, hesitant smile forming on his lips.

Todoroki dared to see Midoriya's reaction to his input, becoming red all over again when he found those large green orbs staring at him with such appreciation and happiness. A breath he didn't know he'd been holding slowly passed his lips, and he went back to drinking his tea, content with his first real performance hanging out with his classmates and Midoriya, his first real friend.

* * *

 **~Time Skip: 1 Week~**

"Just try something, you shitty nerd!" Kacchan screamed, his hands already lighting up with mini explosions. "You've lied to me for years about your stupid quirk and now you refuse to show it to me in combat! You little weakling!"

Midoriya cowered away, his back hitting the cold wall behind him. He had nowhere else to run now, but he didn't want to attack his friend or be attacked either. "P-please… Ka-Kacchan…" he whimpered, doing his best to shrink back farther.

Bakugo only smiled maniacally, grabbing hold of the smaller boy by his collar so that he could thrust him back, cackling as Midoriya tried to catch his breath from the impact. "Please what? Fight me now or you'll wish you were never born! All Might would think you're pathetic! Whining like the little bitch you are!"

Midoriya felt the tears that he'd been trying to hold back start to swell and fall down his cheeks, his weakness for Bakugo apparent. There was no way he could fight back against the anger-driven blonde; every time he looked at him all he could see was the five-year-old boy that had once been his friend. The one that had protected him from every bully around until he'd become one himself.

He hated how weak he was around him. Every time hoping for a different outcome than being verbally or physically abused only to have that hope shoved back in his face, taunting him with the knowledge that Kacchan wasn't the boy he used to know and may never be again.

Midoriya let another pitiful whine escape his throat when Bakugo's face got right in front of his own. He could feel the larger male's breath on his lips, smell the familiar smokiness, and feel the heat from his recently activated quirk. Once again forgetting exactly what was before him, he stared at the blonde's ruby eyes, his face flushing at how close they were.

"What? You want a kiss or something you fucking nerd? Who the fuck would want to kiss your ugly mug you fucking failure?!" Bakugo shouted, this time moving his hand so that he could squeeze the boy's small neck tightly, nearly choking him.

Midoriya thought he would die of humiliation before oxygen deprivation. He turned his head away with a sob, his eyes closing tightly against the hurtful words his ex-best friend was spewing.

Bakugo snorted loudly and tangled his free hand in soft green locks, forcing Midoriya's face back towards him as he pressed his body up against the other so that he couldn't move at all. "You fucking listen to me Deku! Don't you fucking dare come near me again going on about this friendship crap. Do you fucking understand me? I'll kill you, you little weakling bastard! I don't want to be your friend. I. Never. Fucking. Will. Just give up on being a hero you annoying little shithead!"

Bakugo gave his throat one more squeeze before letting go of Midoriya entirely, watching as the boy dropped to his knees coughing before walking off, muttering angry, incoherent sentences.

The One For All user just stayed on his hands and knees, trying to regain his breath or at least stop his heaving sobs. He hated how pathetic he was around Bakugo, always accepting the terrible things he said and did. Then he'd inevitably go back for more as soon as even a flicker of confidence returned to him.

* * *

Todoroki sat in his room attempting to study for his finals. He'd skipped dinner though and wasn't able to properly focus due to his stomachs constant growling. Despite this, he didn't move to go out and get something.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. In truth, he'd been hoping Midoriya would show up and invite him to eat with their group as he had several times over the past week. Each time he'd almost given up on waiting, his chest had gotten tight and he couldn't move. What if Midoriya showed up to invite him and he wasn't there? Or what if something made him lose track of time and he didn't get to see that infectious grin before Midoriya went to sleep?

"So, this is what friendship is huh" he muttered, "How do people like Midoriya and Kirishima deal with this constant feeling of needing to be with people? Or maybe he doesn't consider me his friend… if this is how friends feel toward one another, why doesn't he need to see me as much as it seems like I need to see him?"

* * *

Todoroki waited until long past dark to leave his shared room, his heart feeling like a heavy rock in his chest. He walked slowly, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed him. He'd probably get an earful from the teachers if he was caught leaving the safety of his dorm so late. All at once, a small crumpled form caught his eye as he passed the edge of their building.

He furrowed his brows. The moon was partially covered by clouds so it wasn't providing much light, and there were dark shadows making the small alley between his dorm and the next ever darker. He couldn't completely see what it was, but he was certain it wasn't a pile of rocks. Todoroki activated his fire quirk, holding a small flame in his hand as he hesitantly approached the unknown object.

"M-Midoriya?" he gasped, finally recognizing the dark green mess of hair.

Todoroki kept the fire steady and hurried over, clutching his chest some in relief when he found the young hero was still breathing, his face scrunched in what seemed like a very distressed sleep. "H-hey… Wake up…" he stuttered, giving Midoriya a slight shake.

As soon as those emerald eyes started to part, they caught sight of a dark figure looming over with a fire in their hand. Midoriya immediately jerked into a ball, hiding himself defensively. "N-no! L-leave me al-lone K-Kacchan!" he begged.

Todoroki looked over to his lit palm in horror and extinguished the fire before maneuvering to his knees, both hands gripping Midoriya as he tried to comfort him. "It's me… It's Todoroki…Midoriya? Do you hear me? It's Shoto…"

Izuku hiccupped and looked up again, this time though, the clouds had shifted and the moon illuminated Todoroki's face, his pale hair and skin shining in the dim light. He felt a cold hand touch his dirt and tear-stained cheek and focused on his friend's heterochromatic eyes, noticing the intense worry that filled them.

"O-oh…h-hey…" Midoriya started, doing his best to force a smile as he gripped the comforting hand on his face. The attempt was short lived however as his interaction with Bakugo flashed through his mind. Giving in to the immense sadness and shame he felt, he dropped his head onto Todoroki's lap and began sobbing once again, still holding onto the dual user's hand as if his life depended on it.

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 **Alright! I hope that made you somewhat sad (in the best way possible of course).**

 **Please: Follow/Favorite/Review!**

 **It really does make me happy to know that people appreciate my work since I'm such a novice and ultimately have no life.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Swoosh! And I'm back with Chapter 4! I think I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this chapter actually, so I hope it turns out alright and you all enjoy reading it.**

 **BTW…. So, I was reading someone else's story and saw that they have people making Fanfic art. Like, I guess readers draw scenes from their chapters? If anyone would be down to do that for me I'd be hella grateful and would love to use one for the little story Icon!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 4

Todoroki sat still, wanting to vomit at the site before him. Midoriya was sobbing into his legs with such desperation and hopelessness that he thought his own heart would break. He didn't know what had happened but judging by the broken boy's reaction after waking up, it must have something to do with Bakugo.

"Midoriya… please don't cry…" he finally pleaded, using his free hand to awkwardly rub the boy's shoulder. But the small hero couldn't stop, his back still shaking violently under his touch with each heavy, sorrow filled breath.

Todoroki couldn't help but remember his past, how often he'd been in Midoriya's position crying into his mother's lap after Endeavor had pushed him too hard. She'd always carry him to her private bedroom, holding him in her arms while he fell apart. Then, once he didn't have any more tears to spill, she'd make him some tea and cuddle with him, using her quirk to cool his aching head.

He swallowed hard, his nerves making his muscles feel like jelly as he maneuvered Midoriya around, carrying him bridal style out of the alleyway. The dual user could feel soft green hair under his chin as the boy hid his face in his chest. He sincerely hoped that Midoriya wouldn't be able to feel how frantically his heart was beating.

Todoroki shook his head to clear it. He had more important things to worry about than being nervous right then, like making it through the dorm without anyone seeing them or hearing Midoriya's continued sobs.

It felt like it had been an eternity when their door finally clicked behind them, and he let out a shaky breath. _"I have to do something… Midoriya needs me right now just like I needed him before. Okay, what exactly did mom used to do? Right… Step one is to get him more comfortable."_

Todoroki set the teen down on his bed and stripped him of his sweater, pants, shoes, and socks without any protest. He pushed him back into the pillow before taking off his own clothing as well, leaving them both in their boxers and undershirts.

" _Okay… now mom would climb into bed with me and let me cuddle into her chest. But she's my mom. Do friends do stuff like this?"_ He wondered.

His eyes floated over the smaller boy, pain filling his chest as he watched the tears fall from his tightly shut eyes, his body curled up on his side in complete emotional turmoil. _"It doesn't matter if other friends do this… Midoriya… that must be it… he's my best friend so that means it's okay. Right?"_

Todoroki felt the tightness in his body ease as soon as he pushed Midoriya over and crawled in next to him, holding him to his chest tightly. "It's… it's going to be okay… you're going to be okay… I…umm… I'm sorry I'm not very good at this…" he muttered into his soft, green hair.

Midoriya continued soaking the dual user's shirt with weak cries but nodded in acknowledgment. He reached around blindly until he found Todoroki's right hand, placing it on his cheek just as it had been in the alley.

Todoroki allowed his hand to form ice crystals before petting the heated skin, running his fingers through the thick, soft curls in a soothing manner until the small boy finally fell quiet.

Slowly, afraid his movement might set off another crying spell, he untangled himself from Midoriya's arms and got out of the bed. As he did, he could see green eyes watching him out of the corner of his own, their depths filled with sadness, almost pleading with him to come back.

He hastily got a mug, honey, and a Chamomile tea bag, using his quirk to create ice and then heat it to a suitable temperate. "Here, drink this." He ordered gently, holding the steaming cup out for his roommate to take.

Midoriya sat up slowly, his head still low. He took the cup quietly and sipped it, his shoulders relaxing some. "Thanks." The boy finally responded, his voice tired and raspy.

Todoroki didn't quite know what to do with himself, so he thought hard about what his mother had done for him next. He felt his chest thump as he sat down on the bed again, leaning his back against the headboard next to Midoriya. He desperately wanted to use his ice quirk to cool down his body, knowing that he'd started to perspire out of nervousness but held back.

" _Mom would hold me even after I stopped crying, she'd kiss my head and tell me stories to get my mind off of whatever was bothering me until I was ready to talk about it. But being near him, I feel so… nervous… and I want to touch his skin… is that how taking care of someone is supposed to be?"_

Despite how utterly lost he felt, he moved without really processing doing so, holding Midoriya close to his left side so that he could kiss the top of the boy's unruly hair. Midoriya tensed momentarily, but then relaxed again, his body leaning into the comforting touch, and Todoroki silently sighed in relief.

"Have you heard the story about the Winter Elf King?" he asked awkwardly.

Midoriya's big, misty green eyes finally flickered up to meet his, full of wonder and thankfulness.

* * *

Todoroki stayed awake long after he'd felt the teens breathing slow into a peaceful sleep. He lay there in the dark, listening to the occasional mewls Midoriya would let out, and thought about all that had happened.

Something about holding this fragile hero close felt so completely right to him, and yet at the same time confused him greatly. It was true he'd never had friends, so he couldn't say with certainty that this wasn't normal, but intuition told him it probably wasn't.

Over the last few weeks, he'd watched how others interacted with each other and it never seemed as intimate as this. In fact, when he'd leaned down to kiss Midoriya's head, he couldn't help but feel almost excited. _"Perhaps I can ask mom what all this me-"_

Todoroki's thoughts were cut short when a small warm hand slid down his chest, landing right on his groin. To his surprise, the touch didn't disgust him, instead, he could feel his body heating up, the blood starting to pool in his abdomen. His mind began reeling as he felt his cock begin to stir, causing him to send a cold shockwave from his right side to quell the reaction.

Midoriya shivered and moved his hand before nuzzling his nose into Todoroki's neck. A contented sigh escaped his lips when the warmth returned, the hot breath making Shoto shudder in desire again. He glanced down frantically, hoping that he hadn't woken the teen with his persistent… problem.

Seeing that Izuku was still out, he relaxed back, letting the realization of the meaning behind his reactions to Midoriya wash over him like a tidal wave. His mind delving into a long battle against itself.

" _I…. I like him… That must be it… But it can't be… I've never had feelings for anyone and this is… well… Midoriya… Shit… IT. IS. MIDORIYA._

 _This isn't some random person! He's my best friend. My_ _ **only**_ _friend! If I were to act on these feelings what then? Obvious. I'd be rejected of course. He's my friend because he's a genuinely good person… that doesn't mean that there is anything more to how he feels about me. No one would want to actually be with someone who's as damaged and warped as I am._

 _But what about tonight? He clung to me, let me hold him close and shower him with affection. Even after I kissed the top of his head he relaxed, accepting my awkward attempt to console him. Wait… was that all this was though?_

 _He was desperate for comfort and I happened to be the one to find him. Maybe it didn't matter that it was me so much as someone there to help. But maybe he only fell apart like that because it was me and he knew he could._

 _No, I need to stop thinking like this. Even if by some miracle Midoriya fell for me like I have for him, it just wouldn't be right. Endeavor ruined me. Someone like me has no business dragging down someone like him. He's the kid that All Might endorses._

 _Shit… That makes this whole situation even more fucked up. If my dad ever, EVER, found out that I liked someone that idolizes All Might as much as Midoriya… that has All Might's support as much as Midoriya… he'd do something terrible. I know it. It's best for everyone if I just stay lonely."_

Todoroki felt tears of his own starting to fill the corners of his eyes, and shut them tightly, baring himself from feeling such pain. He ran his hand down Midoriya's arm until it reached the bottom. Taking a shaky breath, he interlocked their fingers. As much as he knew he shouldn't be doing this, he told himself he'd let go in the morning for good, but tonight, they both needed each other.

* * *

 **~Next Morning~**

Midoriya woke up feeling entirely too comfortable. He let his eyelids flutter open only to find a pale neck and he blinked, trying to determine who was so close to him. The events of the previous night came flooding in, but he still wasn't sure how to react.

He sat up slowly, blushing heavily when he saw how tangled up he and the larger boy were. Had he really cuddled with the icy-hot teen all night? He was certain that once he'd fallen asleep the boy would put him in his own bed, but apparently that never happened.

As if being summoned by Midoriya's thoughts, Todoroki blinked, his eyes flickering around to see where the warmth had gone.

Izuku was about to say something when he saw Todoroki's pupils shrink rapidly, his previously peaceful face contorting with rage.

"What the FUCK!" he hissed, steam coming from his left side while frost rose from his right.

Midoriya squeaked and tried to scramble away, believing the teen's fury was due to him still being in his bed. "S-so-rry" he attempted, finding it hard to speak.

Todoroki didn't let him get very far, however. His strong arms were around Midoriya's waist, quickly pulling him back onto the bed and then switching to hold his jaw high. "Did Bakugo do this to you!?" he seethed. He knew that the blonde must have done something to upset him so much, but he never imagined it would be this bad.

"Wha?" Midoriya attempted, his voice coming out raspy and weak.

Todoroki stood up and pulled the One for All user with him to the bathroom. He stood behind the smaller teen and pointed, his finger shaking in anger as it directed Midoriya's gaze to a very visible handprint around his neck.

Izuku remembered their encounter, how Bakugo had squeezed his throat to keep him from speaking. He hadn't thought about the aesthetic aftermath during the incident due to how overwhelming everything else was, but seeing it now, it looked as if the blonde might have actually been trying to kill him. His jaw dropped, shocked at the dark print on his skin.

"Well! Was it that egotistical bastard?!" Todoroki questioned, his voiced raised.

Midoriya's eyes filled with fear and locked on to Shoto's, unwillingly giving him the answer to his question. In an instant, the taller started towards their door, his intent to fight undeniable. Izuku pounced after him, managing to catch his leg as he fell to his knees.

"Midoriya. Let go of me right now. Someone needs to teach Bakugo a lesson he'll never forget." Todoroki ordered, his vision blurred with rage. He hadn't been able to stop his father from beating and abusing his mother when he was a child. But he wasn't a helpless kid anymore and he'd be damned if he let the only other person he cared about get pushed around by some scumbag bully.

The small hero wouldn't budge however and shook his head vigorously, unable to produce words due to the soreness of his throat. He gazed up with tear-filled eyes, pleading with Todoroki to stop. He didn't want Shoto and Bakugo to fight, not for any reason but especially not because of him.

"P-pl-ea-se" he choked out.

Todoroki's gaze bounced between the door and the now near hysterical teen attached to his leg. If he wasn't careful, he knew Midoriya would go into another panic attack like he had the night before. He let out a heavy breath and sat down, letting the boys strong grip hold on to him the whole way.

The dual user knew he couldn't confront Bakugo right then, not when Midoriya was so clearly unstable, but that didn't mean this conversation was over. _"You will pay for what you've done to him."_

* * *

Bakugo slammed into the punching bag in his room again, not caring that his knuckles were broken, the skin raw and bleeding. He couldn't stop. Not yet. Not until he'd punished himself enough.

"You should just talk to him. He's always trying to make things right with you so why not just let him, dude?" Kirishima asked, his red eyes watching the teen destroy his hands.

"Shut your fucking fuck face shitty-hair. You know why I can't goddamn do that!" Bakugo barked back, wiping the tears away from his eyes with his sweat covered forearm.

Kirishima got up from his bed and wrapped his arms around the infuriated blonde, using his quirk just in case. "Look, I know you think it's manly or whatever. But clearly how you've been trying to handle things isn't working. Why not just tell Midoriya the truth?"

"Let. Me. Go. You fucking weakling bastard! I'll blow your ass to bits" Bakugo growled over his shoulder, his body tense and ready to attack.

The redhead simply kissed the nape of the blonde's neck, nuzzling his hairline lovingly. He smiled softly when he felt Bakugo take a deep breath and twisted him around so that he could look him in the eye. "If it will make you feel better then hit me with one of your explosions; you know I can take it."

Bakugo lowered his head in defeat, pulling Kirishima into a desperate hug. "I went too far last night. After what happened… I just want him to…"

"I know Katsu. I know…" Kirishima soothed, placing his forehead against his boyfriends. He nudged their noses together, their lips teasingly touching until Bakugo gave in and kissed him deeply.

" _I know Bakugo…But Midoriya doesn't…"_ Kirishima thought sadly, holding the boy he loved close as he cried.

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 **BOOM! Didn't see that one coming, did you? Lol I hope not or I'm becoming WAY to predictable. Anyway, I hope that reading this was enjoyable at least a little bit!**

 **PLEASE (As Always): Follow/Favorite/Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so chapter 4 was a total whirlwind I think, but I'm hoping this one will be good too! Please keep reading**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 5

Todoroki carefully massaged Midoriya's neck, using his dual quirk to bring down the swelling and then relax the muscles repeatedly until the teen could talk again, though he figured his voice would remain raspy and quiet for the rest of the day. He kept his eyes down now, having learned in the first few minutes that Izuku was content staring at him as he worked.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" he eventually asked, partially to test how much the boy's voice had healed, but also out of embarrassed curiosity.

Midoriya blushed heavily, and shrugged, finally averting his gaze. "Thank you, Todoroki. I really appreciate everything you've done for me… especially last night. I… I'm sorry for how I acted."

The elder boy got up and began making another cup of tea for his friend, the irritation that had temporarily been stifled flaring again. _"How can he say that? Bakugo choked him and then left him in an alley for who knows how long. Just what kind of connection could lead to such a terrible dynamic?"_

Todoroki didn't say any of what he was thinking, however. His revelations from the night before were still at the forefront of his mind, causing him to hesitate before he dug too deeply into Midoriya's feelings for the arrogant blonde.

"What were you doing before he attacked you?" he finally asked.

Midoriya's face went red again, a sheepish grin breaking across his lips. "I uh… I was actually coming to the room to see if you'd eaten yet. I'd lost track of time in the library studying and had told Uraraka and Iida to go on ahead without me. They'd sent a text saying you weren't there so I figured you'd done the same thing."

"I don't need someone to babysit me, Midoriya. I'm fully capable of going to the cafeteria on my own." As soon as the words left his lips his face flushed, remembering why he'd been out so late to begin with. Maybe he did need someone to help him get through everyday tasks after all. He cleared his throat before turning around to hand his crush the beverage, hoping the pink hue had left his skin.

As if Midoriya had been able to sense what he was thinking, his face scrunched in confusion. "Actually, what were you doing out that late anyway? When you woke me up it was clearly dark out. Did something happen?"

"I felt like going out to get something to eat…" Todoroki explained, silently praying that the teen wouldn't realize just how desperate he'd been to hang out with him again.

"Oh! I'm so sorry" Midoriya exclaimed, his voice straining with the louder volume, "then you must be really hungry, you should go get something to eat. I'll uh… I'll just hang out in the room for now; I don't really feel like seeing anyone."

Todoroki gave a blank, unreadable stare before answering. "Are you opposed to going somewhere off campus with me?"

Midoriya bit his lip and looked away, but not in sadness. Another gentle smile softened his tired features, "thanks… you really are the coolest."

* * *

This place has great soup" Todoroki stated, holding the door open for Midoriya to enter with a slight smirk.

The green haired teen flashed an embarrassed smile, realizing this was the same place he'd taken Todoroki when he'd been worried about him. "Thank you" he whispered, doing his best not to stress his vocal chords out too much. "This time one of us might actually get the soup…"

A silence stretched over them soon, however, just like it had last time only their positions were reversed. Unfortunately for Midoriya, the dual quirk user's usual patience was wearing thin.

"I expect you to tell me what happened eventually you know," Todoroki stated, glancing over the top of his menu with an intense seriousness.

Midoriya shifted uncomfortably, "I started it… it was my fault."

"You know… my mom used to say that to everyone after Endeavor would beat her. It was **always** her fault" Todoroki returned, his eyes heavy with memory.

"Thank you again for taking care of me last night…" Midoriya answered, clearly trying to ease away from the more unpleasant aspects of the previous night. "Did she… did she tell you that story about the Winter Elf King? Your mom I mean…"

Shoto nodded, unable to suppress a gentle smile as his irritation began to erode under those sweet green eyes. He just couldn't help how calming Midoriya's presence was to him. No matter how angry he got, a single word or action from the small teen would force his hatred and depravity away in an instant. He wondered why it seemed to be the opposite for Bakugo.

"Yes, she'd tell me to pretend I was the King and that one day I'd save all the people trapped by the Hellfire Ruler… Did your mom tell you any stories as a child?"

Midoriya blushed and closed his eyes in embarrassment, tugging the scarf he was wearing up higher to cover his face as much as possible. "Yeah… I was always All Might's sidekick…" he giggled, opening one eye to see just how much judgment the dual user was giving him.

Before Todoroki could catch his tongue, "You're adorable, you know that?" slipped out. Immediately causing him to wish he had a scarf of his own to hide behind.

"T-Todoroki! You can't make fun of me for that!" Midoriya exclaimed, expressing his mock indignation as he flailed around.

Shoto could barely think he was still so embarrassed, but at least it didn't seem like the teen realized how serious he was. Now that he'd been able to identify his feelings and had started coming to terms with them it all made sense. Why looking at the teen took his breath away, why he longed to at least be in the same room as the boy, why the kiss he'd given him last night couldn't be the last…

* * *

Aizawa and All Might sat side by side as they continued grading their students and assessing what they should do to test them during the upcoming Finals. The former gave a loud yawn, rubbing his tired, bloodshot eyes.

"You really should take it easy, Aizawa" All Might commented.

The raven-haired man smacked his lips, lazily looking over at the frail form beside him. "I'm not sure that someone like you has the right to say that to me 'All Might'…" he answered, making sure to put a mocking emphasis on his coworker's hero name.

"At least I sleep! You work with the students all day, grade their work after class and then keep your job as a pro going for most of the night. Burning the candle at both ends is bad for your health." The blonde insisted.

Aizawa sighed, he knew that no matter what he said the physically deflated man wouldn't budge on the topic, or even see how their situation was similar. He might be lacking in rest, but All Might often used up his daily power allowance before even making it to work, spending the rest of the day coughing up blood until he could half-ass through his class period.

"Anyway… there was something I've been meaning to ask you if that's alright." The blonde continued, laying back in his chair to stretch his sore muscles.

"Yeah? What is it?" Aizawa answered, turning to give the man his full attention.

The two heroes hadn't ever really been close, one shining as the Symbol of Peace while the other stayed in the shadows, fighting at night when cameras weren't around. But in the few months, they'd worked together, their relationship had completely changed.

Aizawa had been able to see that All Might was human, and truly did have the citizens best interests at heart, even if he was always in the news. Meanwhile, the blonde had come to understand why the scruffy looking man was always so cynical and could appreciate his views even if he didn't always agree.

Now, instead of disdain or some other form of quiet disagreement, the two enjoyed each other's company and were interested in what they had to say.

"Well, it's about the dorm situations you see," All Might explained. "You were in charge of who moved in with who so… did you have a reason for sticking certain people together?"

Aizawa gave a mischievous grin before getting up to make them both a cup of tea. "I did actually, but I don't think someone without interpersonal intuition or at least a desire to meddle would understand."

All Might blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what his friend could possibly mean. He thought about who had been paired up, and how that could be 'interpersonal intuition' worthy, but nothing came to mind.

"Take Midoriya and Todoroki for example" Aizawa stated, gesturing for All Might to follow him to the couch to drink their warm beverages. "Both excellent students with personal drive, but more than that, Todoroki still needed to improve his social skills as well as continue to break down his deep-seated hatred for his fire quirk. Midoriya was an obvious choice. At the same time, Midoriya is far too timid and lacks confidence in his combat abilities while Todoroki, for better or worse, never hesitates."

"I see" All Might responded, rubbing his chin in thought. "So, you used similar patterns of thinking for the rest of your students as well? Paring them with people that could help them improve some part of themselves?"

Aizawa nodded slowly, his eyes betraying that there was something else going on.

All Might furrowed his brows together. It made sense in theory, but that didn't explain the look his friend had given him earlier, or why a desire to 'meddle' needed to be involved to understand. "If that's the case why be so coy about answering?"

The raven shrugged casually as if he didn't understand the question. "Let's just say being a wallflower in high school gave me a certain gift for seeing how things will play out between two people."

All Might didn't quite understand the meaning, but relaxed back, trusting that the man knew what he was talking about. As he took another sip of his tea, his blue eyes couldn't' help but fall on the scar under Aizawa's eye, remembering how he'd received it.

"I don't blame you." The raven stated bluntly. As bored and uncaring as he seemed, the hero was extremely observant and smart. Besides, Toshinori's poker face was terrible when he wasn't in a life or death battle.

"If I hadn't used my energy so recklessly that day, I would have been there to help stop those villains before 'Nomu' could hurt you so badly." All Might sighed.

Aizawa shook his head. At the time, he'd thought that the blonde's actions had been extremely irresponsible since it had meant he'd miss part of the class he'd agreed to help with. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that while reckless, Toshinori's motivations for being a hero were exactly what they wanted their students to emulate.

"And what if you had been there?" he questioned. "Sure, things might have gone more smoothly but it could have gone so much worse. Knowing you, you'd have tried to take on all the villains at once and shrunk before taking on the creature. Instead, you arrived when you were most needed, rested and ready to fight."

The blonde gave a weak cough, swallowing down the blood that had bubbled up into his mouth. "We're all just lucky you were there Aizawa. Personally, I can't thank you enough. Midoriya told me how you stopped that disintegration user's quirk before he could hurt them, even when the Nomu had you pinned down and in such intense pain."

"What's the deal with you and Midoriya?" the raven asked, doing his best to change the subject before his cheeks could betray how flattered and embarrassed he was from the compliment.

"Oh… uh… He just really reminds me of myself back when I was his age." All Might stated, telling himself he wasn't truly lying to his friend. Midoriya actually did mimic his actions in so many ways.

Aizawa cocked an eyebrow, clearly not buying the shaky excuse, but he didn't push any farther. He'd get to the bottom of their relationship soon enough, but for now, he was just content in his friend's company.

* * *

 **~Time-Skip: Final Exam Practical Day~**

Midoriya had managed to wear his roommate's intense desire for vengeance down over the weekend, and finally convinced him to let him handle Bakugo himself, or at least to wait until after finals were over. Though reluctant, Todoroki had agreed, insisting that when the confrontation occurred he would be just a text away like with the Hero Killer.

Now, it was time for them to duke it out in the practical and of course, Bakugo was paired with Midoriya. The small teen walked up to the gate, dreading what was undoubtedly going to come. He kept his eyes down, but tried to strike up a conversation, knowing that the blonde would want to go in guns blazing at All Might.

"Kacchan, I think we-"

"Shut it, Deku!" Bakugo quickly interrupted, "I don't want to fucking hear a word."

Midoriya gulped and then subconsciously rubbed his throat, forgetting that there was a still a fairly visible bruise there. His fidgeting had moved the metal neckpiece he wore, allowing the still healing mark to show.

Bakugo's eyes widened in guilt-ridden shock, realizing just how tightly he must have squeezed. _"Damnit… I knew I was too rough with him. Deku… that fucking weakling. I don't even have to do much and he gets hurt that badly."_

* * *

Bakugo blinked at the ceiling, having woken up in the middle of the night to find himself in the nurse's office. "Oi… Deku…" he called, waiting to see if there was any reaction from the slumbering teen.

When he didn't see movement, he chewed the inside of his lip, remembering what Kirishima had urged him to do. Technically, if he said anything now it wouldn't really count since Midoriya was out of it, but maybe it would be the first step.

"I… I didn't realize I was squeezing that hard. It's not like I want you to fucking die, even if you are a stupid weakling. You just make me so fucking irritated when you do shit like talk about being a hero when you can't even stand up to me, your asshole classmate. There. I fucking gave the closest damn thing you're going to get to some shitty apology… damn shitty-haired Kirishima, making me do all this pussy crap."

Midoriya opened his eyes but stayed silent. He'd been awake the whole time, unable to sleep between his back pain and lingering thoughts of the blonde and Todoroki. He considered saying thank you right then and there but decided against it.

" _It must have taken a lot of courage for Bakugo to admit he'd done something wrong, but… if Kirishima was able to convince him then that's even more important. That means that he was able to get Kacchan to open up! This is such a huge relief. Should I tell Todoroki? Would he understand how big of a deal this is or would he say it doesn't count since Kacchan thought I was asleep?"_

A sharp pain tore up Midoriya's back as he contemplated how his conversation with Todoroki might go down, causing him to whimper loudly.

"Damnit, Deku!" Bakugo growled, though this time it had far less bite to it. "Can't you keep your damn moaning to yourself? You're such a weakling, loser!"

Izuku smiled softly to himself, his ex-friends apology rolling around in his pain-hazed mind "S-Sorry, Kacchan…" he mumbled into the pillow. Seeing as neither of them could sleep, he decided to test the waters. "How are you feeling?"

"Fucking fine, Deku. I'm not a little bitch like you." Bakugo answered. "By the way, no one's told me yet. Did we fucking pass or what?"

"Oh! Yeah, we did! I was able to get across the finish line thanks to you!" Midoriya answered, neglecting to mention that he'd almost made them lose by rushing back to retrieve the unconscious blonde before crossing through the gate.

"Fuck yeah we di- Ssst!" Bakugo attempted, his triumphant vibe being killed by the throbbing in his arms. The blonde could practically feel the concern emanating from the teen in the bed next to him. "Don't you fucking dare ask me if I'm okay you worthless shit! I'm better than you'll ever be so don't treat me like some goddamn weakling!"

Midoriya gave a short, genuine laugh, amazed that Bakugo still had that much fight in him when they were both lying fairly broken in the nurse's office. _"Kacchan really is amazing…I miss his company so much…"_

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 **Okay, loyal readers! I hope you liked it! I'm not sure where I'm going next but I hope you're up for anything!**

 **Please: Follow/Favorite/Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay! I'm so ready to tackle this chapter. I'm going with some lemon right off the bat so BE WARNED.**

 **Also, just in case you didn't know, I don't own My Hero Academia (obviously).**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 6

 **~Time Skip: Day After Mall Incident~**

"Fucking hurry up, shitty hair!" Bakugo barked, yanking Kirishima through his family's apartment to his room.

The redhead didn't mind that he was being dragged, or the rage that was overflowing from his boyfriend. He knew that beneath that explosive anger Bakugo was just upset.

As soon as the door slammed behind him, Kirishima was forced against it, his lips being attacked ferociously. He relaxed into the desperate kiss, hardening his waist as Bakugo's hands ran down it, crackling sparks following their movements.

Bakugo picked Kirishima up, giving the teen just enough time to wrap his legs around him before shifting their positions and hastily getting to his bed, dropping his lover down on his back so that he could strip off their clothes.

The blonde took a brief moment run his eyes over Kirishima's body. He couldn't help but admire the tight muscles that stretched around his panting chest, his Adam's apple bouncing in his throat with each gentle gulp, and those soft red eyes. Those understanding orbs staring up at him lovingly, like his violent desperation to fuck was the most caring thing he could do in the world.

Bakugo climbed on the bed as well and growled, nipping down the other's neck and chest, almost hard enough to bruise. He almost used his hands to maneuver the boy around, but paused, his insecurities welling to the surface. Instead, he used his knees to push the redhead's legs farther apart before leaning down.

Kirishima closed his eyes and gasped, arching his back when he felt Bakugo's hot mouth engulf his cock, sucking roughly. He gripped the sheets tightly and threw his head, shaky breaths coming out as he tried to suppress moaning too loudly. His lover knew exactly what he liked, and he could feel that wicked tongue flicking around his swollen head then flatting out against the underside as he was swallowed down the tight passageway.

"K-Katsu…" he eventually whined, glancing down with hazy eyes to see why his boyfriend's lips were no longer around him. His disapproval was short-lived, however, as he saw the teen coating his own erection in saliva, the anticipation of what was coming making his already burning body hotter.

Bakugo entered him with one quick snap of his hips, causing Kirishima to bite the back of his hardened hand to repress any pain-filled yelps. "F-fuck…" he finally breathed, doing his best to relax his tense, stretched cavern. He used his other hand to hold his lover's shoulder tightly.

"Don't be such a little bitch, shitty-hair," Bakugo commented, though his voice was soft and he didn't move his hips again. He wished he could stretch his lover properly, but that wasn't possible without their usual toys, and he had no idea where they were in his still unpacked school boxes.

Kirishima opened his closed eyes once he'd adjusted to the large appendage. He gazed over the blonde, watching his strong body straining in self-control. The redhead could smell smoke near him and glanced away to see where Bakugo's hands were this time, finding them balled up, far away from him on the bed. He knew why his usually cocky boyfriend was so nervous whenever they were intimate, why he always made sure that those explosive fingers were distanced from his body.

Bakugo had wonderful control over his quirk, but that didn't mean it was perfect. Whenever he became emotional and began sweating, those calloused palms were a literal ticking time bomb just waiting to go off, and they often did. In their most intimate moments, Katsuki always had a shadow of self-doubt emanating from him, worried that he might lose control.

Taking a small breath, he tensed his muscles and flipped them, pushing Bakugo onto his back so that he could sit comfortably on the teen. He sat still for a moment, loving how his boyfriend stared up at him in need and slight confusion, his smoking hands still stretched out to the edges of the bed.

Kirishima smiled knowingly and leaned over his panting suitor, licking the boys trembling lips. He slowly reached to grab the boy's hands, pulling them to his newly hardened waist. If there was one person who was built to be Bakugo's lover, both emotionally and physically, it was him. He could handle any crude remark and explosion the boy could muster with ease, and then kiss away the pride that caused them in the first place.

"You won't hurt me, Katsu…" he whispered, "so be rough."

It was like a desire and need filled bomb finally went off in Bakugo's mind. He wrapped one arm around Kirishima's waist and tangled the other in his red hair, holding him in place. Bending his knees for leverage, he thrust his hips upward, impaling himself into his boyfriend as he began a fast, hard pace. The redhead, in turn, moaned loudly in Bakugo's ear, encouraging him to continue.

It only took Kirishima a few minutes before he couldn't take any more. He gasped and clenched down, his body quaking when his seed shot across their stomachs. "Sh-shit…" Katsuki groaned, breathing in the earthy scent of his lover as his orgasm crashed through him as well, his vision going white in pleasure.

A loud explosion drew him back to reality, however, and he immediately started panicking, realizing his hands were still on Kirishima's back and neck. _"Shit. Shit. Shit. I've probably fucking burned him and caused internal damage with how close we are. Fuck! Why can't I just get myself under control!"_

Before he could even say anything though, the redhead was kissing him passionately, his own quirk activated all over. He ran his hard fingers down Bakugo's sweaty jaw and smiled when he pulled away. "What have I told you, Katsu?"

Bakugo panted slightly and relaxed, allowing the ecstasy from his climax and relief to wash through him despite the little interruption. "T-that I can't h-hurt you…" he muttered, turning his head away slightly. _"Damnit… it was still too close though. Next time, I promise I won't lose control like that… I fucking swear…"_

Kirishima flashed his sharp teeth in a large smile. "That's right bro! I'm a certified badass, a real manly man!" he teased, sitting up to run his hands over the teens glistening skin.

The blonde just rolled his eyes and knocked the bragging boy off of him, quickly pulling him back close to spoon afterward.

They laid in a comfortable silence for a while before Bakugo's body starting tensing again. "I should have fucking been there…"

Kirishima knew exactly what his lover was talking about. It was the entire reason why Bakugo had insisted he come over. The blonde had declined to go to the mall with the rest of Class 1-A and now felt guilty that shit had almost hit the fan. Even if it seemed like nothing more than a rough fucking session, the redhead knew the truth. Bakugo needed to show Kirishima how worried he'd been about him in his own violent, convoluted way.

Of course, the redhead knew his boyfriend's guilt wasn't logical. No one could have predicted Shigaraki showing up at the shopping center to threaten Midoriya, but Bakugo felt responsible all the same. Kirishima could practically hear what was flowing through his lover's mind. 'If I'd gone then Midoriya wouldn't have been so exposed. What if that bastard had attacked Kirishima too and hurt him?'

Deciding that this would be the most open to talking Bakugo would probably be, he decided to argue the points his lover was no doubt thinking. "Midoriya and I are both okay, Katsu… You couldn't have known that villain prick would show up. Besides, everyone split up so it wouldn't have helped if you were there in the first place."

"But I fucking should have known" Bakugo responded, his grip tightening around Kirishima's torso.

The redhead could feel hot tears starting to fall onto the back of his neck, his heart breaking at how much the situation had gotten to his boyfriend. He turned in the other's arms so that they were lying facing each other and gently pecked at his lips. "I know you won't listen to reason, but at least try not to beat yourself up over something that didn't happen. The only thing I want you to think about right now is that I love you, Katsuki Bakugo."

Kirishima wasn't expecting a response, he never got one when he declared his feelings to the emotionally stunted teen. But this time he heard it, the sound almost so quiet it could have been his imagination.

"I love you too, Eijiro…"

* * *

With the arrival of summer, the students were back in their own homes until the day they left for training camp, so Todoroki hadn't been able to see Midoriya directly after he'd been cornered in the mall. He'd spent hours after hearing about the incident looking at his phone, his roommate's contact information staring back at him. Should he text and see if there was anything he could do or would that make his crush too obvious?

Now that he was certain he wanted Midoriya in ways that went beyond friendship, he held a magnifying glass to every decision he was going to make regarding the teen. If he was around too much or seemed too helpful, then Izuku could figure out his secret, but if he was too distant then he could lose the friendship he so desperately clung to.

Todoroki had truly done his absolute best to repress his urges, but the group text he'd been added to following the incident just kept bringing up how close his crush had come to dying and he'd somehow ended up at Midoriya's door like a lost puppy.

In his panic, he hadn't even texted to see if it was alright for him to come over. But as he stood in front of the door, his hand moved without his permission, knocking lightly. It was Inko, Midoriya's mother who answered, her face a mixture of worry and strained politeness. "Oh… you must be Todoroki… my little Izuku's roommate from school…" she stated, her body unconsciously blocking the entrance.

The teen nodded, his mouth dry with anxiety. "I just wanted to ask if he was okay" he forced out. He could feel how worried the woman was, probably remembering just how badly he'd injured Midoriya in their Sports Festival fight. Now he was sure that showing up unannounced like this was incredibly unwanted and a bad idea.

Inko seemed to calm down though when he expressed his concern and slowly moved aside, her hands trembling as she showed him into her kitchen. "Please, take a seat and I'll make you some tea. Midoriya is out running an errand for me right now but he'll be back shortly. You'll stay, won't you?"

"Uh… yes mam… If that's alright with you I mean." Todoroki responded.

The woman nodded and scurried about, preparing him a snack and tea while he sat silent and ridged in his chair. "You know…" Inko stated, setting the refreshments down in front of them, "my Izuku has always been my whole world. He was so happy when he got into UA, and of course, as his biggest fan I was as well, but…"

Todoroki nodded blankly, unsure of what the woman was trying to convey to him.

"It's been hard for me to accept. My baby boy becoming a hero at such a dangerous time, and the injuries that he sustains at school alone…."

The dual user felt his face pale, knowing that the most serious of those had been dealt out in the sports festival by him. It was no wonder this poor woman didn't want him in their home; she obviously loved her son more than life and was wary of anyone that had hurt him.

"I should probably go…" Todoroki blurted out, standing to leave. "He… he tore himself up so that he could help me… I'm so sorry…"

Inko reached out her hand and placed it on top of Todoroki's before he could make his exit, his face changing from guilt-ridden to confused. The boy's heterochromatic eyes stared into hers, noticing that they were filled with tears and he slowly sat back down.

"Please, that wasn't meant to place blame. I… I want to thank you, Todoroki. I know what the news said, but Izuku told me how you came to help him that night in Hosu city. He says that out of all his classmates at UA you've been the most help to him in learning what it means to be a hero and comforting him when he feels down. I will admit that I was nervous seeing you after the Sports Festival, but if my baby trusts you with his life then I'll trust you with it as well. Please, I've seen how strong your quirk is…Continue keeping my Izuku safe…"

Todoroki thought he'd been hit with one of Bakugo's explosions, his mind twisting between joy and dread. He was ecstatic that Midoriya had liked him enough to tell his mother such wonderful things, but at the same time, could he really promise to keep her son safe? He'd failed so many times already so what right did he have to agree? But the look on her face was desperate, pleading with him to do what she couldn't.

"I… Mrs. Midoriya… your son… he changed my life. If I could have one wish it would be for all of his to come true. I… I promise I'll keep him safe for as long as I live." Todoroki stated, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn't let her down.

The front door clicked and Inko quickly wiped her eyes, mouthing a silent 'thank you' in his direction before poking her head around the corner. "Izuku! You've got a visitor! Should I break out the baby pictures? You were so cute with all of your little All Might costumes!"

"MOOOM!" the teen screeched in horror, his embarrassment only growing when he not only saw Todoroki in his kitchen but the disbelieving amused look the dual user was giving him.

"Oh… I'm just kidding. Why don't you take him to your room and spend some time together? He came all this way just to see if you were alright after that terrible mess at the mall!" she chirped, sending a wink in Todoroki's direction that said 'he totally used to wear an All Might onesie'.

Midoriya practically dragged Todoroki away from his giggling mother, his face dark red. When they got to his room, however, he didn't get any relief from the humiliation he was feeling. The dual user gawked at what could only be described as a teenager's version of an All Might shrine.

"Is this what your dorm room would have looked like if you'd been assigned to live with someone else? Has All Might seen this yet?" Todoroki questioned, his voice split between amusement and discomfort.

Midoriya flailed around, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for his obvious obsession. But, after failing to do so, he changed the subject instead. "S-so… umm... you came to check on me?"

The look and aura around Todoroki completely changed then, and he got closer to his friend, not really noticing the intense blush that covered Midoriya's cheeks with each step forward he took. His heterochromatic eyes searched for any indication that his roommate was injured or traumatized by the mall incident.

Midoriya, sensing what his friend was looking for tried to comfort him. "It's really fine! I swear the guy only threatened me; he didn't actually do anything that could hurt me!"

The dual user didn't seem convinced though and continued probing, moving Midoriya's arms around and searching through his hair. He looked like a monkey trying to find a treat on his owner. "He could have killed you! If Ochaco hadn't shown up when she did he probably would have."

Todoroki was one more incident away from losing his mind over this dopy boy. First messing him up in the Sports Festival, then almost being too late to help with Stain, watching him fall apart after being attacked by Bakugo and now this. It felt like every other week Midoriya would come close to death or severe maiming and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Now he had to worry about the promise he'd just made to Inko on top of everything else.

"Come with me and the rest of the guys to the pool tomorrow and have some fun training. Not that I think you could use it since I know how fit you are already…Not that I've been looking! I swear I'm not a creep or anything… Gah! What am I saying… It's just it will be a really great way to keep in shape while doing something other than worrying and everyone is supposed to be there or at least they said they would when I texted them but-"

"Midoriya, you're rambling" Todoroki interrupted, though his voice held a hint of appreciation and amusement. He watched as the boy blushed again and felt his own cheeks heat up at the idea of getting to swim with his crush. As tempting as it sounded, he hoped he could keep his hormones in check while being near the boy when he was all wet and half naked.

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 **I hope you all found this chapter captivating! I just adore Izuku's mom. One of my favorite scenes in the anime is her falling off the couch crying as he won the first challenge at the Sports Festival. #MostAdorableThingEver.**

 **Anyway, feel free to message me if you want to… kind of bored here.**

 **PLEASE: Follow/Favorite/Review**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a quick little rant: This might sound super petty, but why is it that some stories have a huge amount of Follows/Favorites/Reviews while others don't? I'm not talking about my stories, because TBH mine are okay, not amazing. But it seems like some of the REALLY good stories don't have near as many F/F/R as others that are good, but not great. Maybe I just have different preferences for reading, but still. Can someone explain that to me? PLEASE?**

 **Okay! Now that my little soapbox is over, on with the story! I'm kind of feeling the whole familial vibe right now so I'm going to ride that wave. Can't say that it will be entirely happy though.**

 **Also, we can't forget about some of the other love stories blossoming (hopefully) in the background!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia, sadly…**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 7

Todoroki waited nervously by his front door. Midoriya had texted that he'd come by and they could ride the train to the school pool together. The teen had thought about saying not to bother or suggesting meeting somewhere else but hesitated. It was only fair since he'd shown up randomly at his home the day before.

"What has you so riled up? And why are you just standing there? Are you waiting for a delivery you don't want father to see or something?" Fuyumi asked, standing in the hallway with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Sister… It's nothing." He replied, turning to hide how big of a deal it really was to him.

The girl adjusted her glasses and walked up beside him, looking out at their large yard in thought. "Something has changed about you, Shoto. Ever since the sports festival you've been dare I say, happier. You've even started to go to see mom every week even though you get punished by father for it."

Todoroki didn't answer, his face starting to heat up as Midoriya's smiling face entered his mind. _"Have I really been that obvious? Does that mean other people have noticed too?"_

"I see… so you've met someone." She giggled, bumping him lightly with her shoulder.

The dual user sputtered and whipped his head around to look at her, unable to stop the violent blush that spread across his pale skin. "How did-"

"Oh, don't look so shocked, Shoto. I'm your big sister; it's my job to keep an eye on you. Besides, every time I see you there's a far-off look in your eyes like you're thinking of something or someone else…. Is that why you're crowding our entryway? Is she coming over to visit or something?" Fuyumi questioned.

"He…" Todoroki muttered, his face suddenly downcast. He watched nervously out of his peripherals, expecting to see his sister recoil in disgust or prepare to scold him.

The girl had a thoughtful expression for a minute before, to her brother's surprise, sighed in relief. "I think you've made an excellent choice, Shoto. I couldn't be more proud of you... and I bet mom will feel the same way."

Todoroki scrunched his nose in confusion. It sounded like she'd already figured out who the 'he' was, and even more, she brought up their mother like they'd still been in contact.

Fuyumi made a gesture to the look out the window on their door, Shoto's eyes immediately catching sight of a very awestruck, green haired boy. "You didn't think you were the only one going to see her, did you? Even before you had your breakthrough, mom made me promise to watch over you as best I could… and that boy, Midoriya I think he name is, he's something special so don't mess this up, little brother."

The elder gave her utterly dumbfounded sibling one more playful bump before turning to let him be. She was truly happy for Shoto but also understood exactly why he was so 'riled up' as she'd put it. If their father found out, he'd bring hellfire down on all of them.

Todoroki in turn, eventually snapped out of his shock just before Midoriya reached their door, and slipped out, being as quiet as he could. "Come on, we should get going…" he stated, unwittingly grabbing the smaller boy's wrist and pulling, tugging him across their lawn.

"Uhhh… is everything okay?" Midoriya asked, his neck twisting to look back at the mansion-sized home.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Todoroki responded, still propelling them forward and out of the front gate.

Izuku squeaked a bit, his free hand coming to rest on the dual users. "It's just… we left really fast and… well… you're squeezing me kind of tightly…"

Todoroki let go immediately, a mixture of guilt and embarrassment flowing through him. He hadn't even realized he'd grabbed onto the smaller boy, much less how hard he'd been holding on. "S-sorry." He mumbled, keeping his gaze ahead of him and not on his crush.

Midoriya quickened his pace so that he was power walking beside the clearly distressed teen, his recently released hand coming to rest on Todoroki's shoulder. "Hey… we're going have fun today!"

Shoto stopped walking and looked down at the teen, drinking in the warm, shy, hopeful smile he was giving. All at once, the fear and worry he'd that had been building in his chest all morning dissipated, his mind becoming peaceful as those freckled cheeks took on a light pink hue. "You're right, Midoriya. Thank you."

After continuing to the school at a more leisurely pace, the smaller boy began to fidget until he finally revealed what was on his mind. "I… uh… I asked Kirishima to invite Kacchan… just a heads up."

Todoroki felt anger bubble in his stomach and let a cool breath seep out of his grit teeth. "Why? Bakugo is just a bully that hurt you. He doesn't deserve-"

"Kacchan apologized to me! I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before. After healing from finals and then the mall incident- No, that isn't true. I didn't tell you because I was worried you'd say it didn't matter or that I was deluding myself." Midoriya explained, his eyes covered by his unruly green hair.

Todoroki's irritation was momentarily replaced by guilt. Had he really been so angry at the blonde that he'd made Midoriya think he couldn't be trusted with that information? He started chewing the inside of his lip, trying to figure out when his desire to protect the teen had come off as domineering. He didn't want to be his father.

"Not that you don't have a right to think that!" Midoriya stated quickly, his hand returning to Shoto's shoulder and squeezing lightly. "It's just… I didn't want you to think I was making excuses and have that ruin our friendship, you know?"

Todoroki sighed and patted the warm appendage that was comforting him. He knew that Bakugo and Midoriya had some connection, as damaging and warped as it seemed to be. "How do you want me to act around him?" he finally asked, resigning himself to helping however he could, even if he didn't agree.

The dual user was practically tackled from the side, Midoriya's arms wrapping around him as his face crashed into one of his strong biceps.

"You're the coolest, Todoroki!" The smaller boy exclaimed, unaware of how many people were staring at the two of them in amusement.

Shoto felt his face bleed red in embarrassment. He wanted to be near the teen like this all the time, but now that there were others watching him he realized just how unused he was to PDA, even if it could easily be construed as one overzealous friend hugging another.

"Oh sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" Midoriya squeaked, retracting himself quickly, his cheeks now equally as colorful. "It's just I couldn't help it! I was wrong to think you'd be so closed minded. You're just one surprise after another, Todoroki!"

The dual user let out a pitiful, embarrassed laugh and started walking again, giving a shy smile to Midoriya to let him know that he wasn't upset about the hug. In fact, he hoped he could keep being surprising, if only to ensure that he would one day get another.

* * *

Todoroki slowly changed his clothes in the locker room. He was surrounded by nude men and yet the only person he was worried about catching a revealing glimpse of was Midoriya. Luckily, their lockers were on opposite sides of the room, so he could breathe easy, for now at least.

Almost as soon as the swimwear settled on his chiseled hips, the boy he'd been trying not to picture naked popped up beside him, a big grin on his face. "This is going to be so cool!" he chirped, stretching his arms up to the ceiling.

Todoroki swallowed hard, doing his best to keep his eyes on the boy's face and not the etched 'V' of his flexing abs. _"This is going to be so_ _ **uncool**_ _…"_ he wallowed, finally understanding how diligently he'd need to focus on keeping his hormones in check.

Outwardly though, he gave a short nod and followed the smaller male outside where Tenya was already in action. For perhaps the first time, he was grateful the class rep was so intense about school.

* * *

Midoriya waved goodbye to Todoroki as he and Ochaco got on a separate train. Both of them lived in a far less affluent neighborhood on the opposite side of town than the dual quirk user and despite offering, Shoto had assured his crush that he could make it back just fine on his own.

"So, it was really nice of you to invite all the boys to come and 'train' with you. I know the girls and I had a lot of fun watching you all work so hard while we played water volleyball!" Ochaco stated while trying to fix her still slightly damp hair.

Midoriya nodded and fiddled with his thumbs slightly, not really paying attention to what his friend was saying. His mind was stuck on the dual user. He, of course, understood why Todoroki was so hesitant to let him near his house; between how completely different their parent's incomes were to the fact that Endeavor hated All Might and by extension himself, it wasn't really a surprise. But still, he had hoped that they could get past all their family problems.

"Deku… are you thinking about Todoroki again?" Ochaco asked, sensing her conversation was completely one-sided.

"What? No! I mean yes but… Uraraka, what am I supposed to do? He's made a lot of progress, but, still!" he finally admitted, leaning back in his seat as if he'd already been defeated.

The two had spoken a lot about the stoic teen since the Sports Festival, but especially after they'd moved in together. It seemed like the more emotionally damaged someone was, the more intensely Midoriya needed to fix whatever problems they were suffering from.

"I guess he doesn't tell you what he's feeling when you ask, huh?" she questioned, putting her hand on his for support. "Haaaa… I guess some people are just like that though, right? I mean take Iida and Tsu for example. He's so literal that he almost always misses the big picture while Asui… well…. I guess she's just so level-headed it's hard to get a reading on what she's thinking."

"Oh right! Uraraka, you still haven't told me if she's said yes or not!" Midoriya exclaimed, completely changing the subject.

Ochaco practically wrapped herself around the boy's head, smothering him to keep his mouth shut. "Deku!" she cried, "Be quiet; what if someone hears you and says something!"

The One For All user eventually pushed her off, chuckling at how flustered his friend was. "Oh come on. We're on a super crowded train and it's really loud. I'll whisper if it makes you feel any better."

Ochaco burned crimson but sadly shook her head. "I haven't asked yet" she huffed, her usually optimistic vibe deflated. "Like I said, I can't get a read on her so I don't want to do something dumb and make it awkward to be roommates again next semester."

Midoriya nodded thoughtfully, bringing his hand to his chin to consider the pros and cons of being so bold. He started mumbling them out quietly, the rant becoming longer and longer. He didn't notice how dark and mischievous Ochaco's face was becoming until she got right next to his ear.

"Deku… if you keep babbling about my love life I'll send you straight into orbit!" she hissed, though there was a playfulness to her tone.

Midoriya basically melted where he was sitting, crumpling into a fit of potential humiliation. He knew exactly why she was so nervous about being found out. Sometime during the first few weeks of school, Iida had mentioned to them that they were awfully close, hinting at something intimate going on between them.

Though it wasn't really his style, the small hero had confronted Uraraka about it later that day, explaining to her as vaguely as possible that she wasn't his type. To his surprise, she'd agreed, saying he wasn't hers either. Eventually, they'd both fully confessed their attraction to the members of their own sex.

Ochaco laughed quietly at her friend's wild antics and pulled him back up to a slouched seated position. "You still haven't told me if you have someone special you want to be with! I think that's totally unfair since I've already come to you for help with Asui."

Midoriya laid his head down on her shoulder and gave a loud sigh, "don't act like you haven't figured it out already…"

The girl giggled again and petted his head, playing with the curls absentmindedly. "Well… they say opposites attract I guess…"

* * *

Todoroki stepped into his house quietly, hoping that no one would bother him. Despite how worried he'd been that he'd have a slip up around his crush, the day had gone relatively smoothly, even after Bakugo had shown up and started mouthing off as usual.

"And where have you been? I expect you to stick to the training schedule I laid out for you." Endeavor growled, blocking his son's path to his bedroom.

"I was at the school pool, father. My classmates and I received permission to use it today for endurance training." Todoroki explained, his voice blank. He stepped past his dad and attempted to make it to his room without any further conversation.

Unfortunately, the man had other plans. His large, heavy foot slammed into Shoto, knocking him face first into the floor. He might have been able to stop himself with ice, but after years of experiencing this kind of treatment, Todoroki knew that it would be better to just not react.

"Don't think I didn't see who came by here today on our security cameras. That little pest All Might is so fond of! How dare you bring trash like that to my home, sullying the Endeavor brand with one of your lesser classmates!" the man shouted, pulling his son from the floor and slamming his back into a nearby wall.

Shoto looked away angrily, trying to suppress the urge to strike the man. He saw his siblings peaking their heads around the doorway, wondering if he wanted them to intervene and try to placate their father's wrath. Todoroki made eye contact with Fuyumi, and made the slightest headshake, urging her to take their siblings elsewhere.

She and the others had occasionally tried to help him in the past, just like his mother. And just like the woman that was still trapped in a hospital, they'd been beaten near senseless for standing up to the hellfire wielder. Especially now, after having his heart reopened by Midoriya, Shoto couldn't bear the thought of them being hurt because of him.

Todoroki returned his heterochromatic eyes back up to his fathers after Fuyumi had ushered them away. "Don't talk about Midoriya like that. He's done more for me than you ever have. Besides, I have no doubt he'll become the next Number One Hero. I beat him in the festival because he couldn't control his quirk yet, but as soon as he does there won't be any point in competing. Now, I need to sleep. Let go of me." He gritted out, trying to keep his own rage under control while simultaneously defending his favorite person.

Endeavor took a step back and then quickly sent a harsh fist forward, driving it into his son's stomach without mercy. His cruel demeanor unwavering as the boy doubled over and vomited, gasping for his breath to return.

"If I EVER catch you acting friendly with him again, I'll use every connection I've ever made to ensure he's expelled from UA, or at least blacklisted from all the top agencies. I created you solely to outdo All Might, and I won't have you become some weak failure. Don't test me Shoto." He threatened, stomping off and leaving the teen shaking in anger.

After a few minutes, Fuyumi returned with a wet towel, kneeling next to her seated brother to clean up the mess. She stayed quiet, watching how he tried to hide his face in his hands, knowing there were probably hate-filled tears burning in his eyes. There was nothing she could say that would make him feel better, of that she was sure. But she didn't know what advice to give either.

Endeavor was the number 2 hero, and thus had a huge pull in the profession. While Midoriya might have All Might rooting for him, she couldn't honestly say that would be enough if her father truly went through with his threat. But now that she knew how much her little brother cared for the boy, and how much he'd helped Shoto get over his aversion to his fire quirk, Fuyumi didn't think suggesting he stay away from the green eyes teen was the right thing to do either.

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 **Okay! I hope you all enjoyed that chapter as well!**

 **Please continue to follow/favorite and review my chapters! It makes me so happy! Thank you to everyone who has so far!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am kind of feeling a little fluffy and mushy right now, so this chapter will reflect that at some point I'm sure. Oh well! Lol!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Boku No Hero**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 8

Todoroki hadn't responded to any of Midoriya's texts since their day at the pool and didn't sit next to him on the bus ride to the facility, his father's words still weighing on his conscience. But as soon as it became apparent that they'd have one hell of a fight on the way to the campgrounds, he'd pushed those feelings aside. After all, he'd promised Inko that he'd protect Izuku, even if it was just giant mud monsters created by one of their hosts.

The dual user had stayed in a group with Midoriya, Iida, and to his intense displeasure, Bakugo. The four of them were by far the most combat elite students of Class 1-A, so their combined efforts made it easier for him to watch over the green haired boy, and they smashed through the forest. The mud creatures had appeared fairly consistently, leaving them little time to do anything other than attack and defend, but even still, Todoroki could feel Midoriya's eyes on him sometimes. But he forced himself not to look back unless it was to lend tactical support.

When they finally reached the facilities, though exhausted, he breathed a sigh of relief. Izuku hadn't broken anything, and now he'd be able to distance himself without worrying about the teen's safety. This reprieve was short-lived, however, when he found out that the bathing area was communal.

The wounds his father had given him, both emotionally and physically, were still raw. It was almost more than he could bear to ignore the boy he cared for so much, especially when they would be around each other for summer camp. But he knew that having to watch Midoriya's dreams evaporate simply because of his selfish desires would be so much worse. In addition to all of that emotional turmoil, his body felt like it was about to fall apart as well, the days workout leaving him with severe fatigue and soreness.

" _To make matters worse, if I get in the baths tonight and anyone sees the bruises my father left, they'll start asking questions. And if Midoriya hears about them, he will surely know that my injury is connected with how distant I've been since the day at the pool. He won't be able to help himself… He'll start to meddle."_

Todoroki knew that if the worst happened and Midoriya did find out, he'd probably lose the uphill battle to stay away from him. If those green eyes peered up at him, begging for answers, he doubted he could stay silent and indifferent.

As he scarfed the delicious food down during dinner, he contemplated how to deal with the situation. He really did need a bath, and the hot springs would definitely help his aching body, but ultimately, was that worth the emotional risk?

* * *

Midoriya sat down in the hot water, rubbing his aching muscles after the hard training that day. Everyone seemed to be utterly spent and relaxing except for Mineta, who was edging closer to the diving wall between the baths, and Todoroki, who'd been actively avoiding him.

He waded over slowly, as if moving too quickly would frighten the teen off, but soon realized the other wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. "Uh… hey…" he started, hesitating. The dual user had been the first one to leave dinner and come out here, so Midoriya was sure he would leave soon.

Todoroki seemed to snap out of his thoughts and sink lower into the water, his eyes much more guarded than they had been in the last few weeks. "What is it, Midoriya?" he questioned quietly.

The teen sat beside him, scooting in close so that he could whisper. However, to Shoto, the distance was far too close for comfort. All he'd need to do was lean an inch and he'd be pressed up against Izuku's soft bare skin.

"Did I do something wrong?" Midoriya asked in a hushed voice.

Todoroki blinked several times and then finally worked up the courage to look over, wincing at the sad, guilt-ridden expression on his crushes face. He had been trying to keep his distance unless it was necessary, but he hadn't really thought about what message that might send the sensitive boy until that moment.

The dual user thought about what he should say, wondering if it would be best to come clean about his father's threat, lie and say that nothing was bothering him, or simply imply that he was through with their friendship. It pained him to be untruthful to such a trusting person as Midoriya, but at the same time, he knew if he fessed up it would create a snowball effect. Within a few minutes, he'd be back to the love-sick fool that had gotten himself into such a mess, all because he couldn't say no to those huge, kind, green eyes.

All at once though, Mineta was climbing the wall, with Tenya shouting after him about his inappropriate behavior. Before Todoroki even processed what was happening, Midoriya had sprung from the water, catching the small boy Kota before he could fall to his death.

He sighed in relief when the teen walked back inside, believing that he'd managed to put off the unwanted intervention for at least a while. He covered his body with ice and stood up to leave as well, figuring this was the best way to avoid flashing his bruises and suspicion at the same time.

"Yo, icy-hot! What the hell are you doing? Can't handle a little heat?" Bakugo barked, getting his attention.

"Obviously he's using the principle of ice therapy to bring down any swelling in his muscles. What a fantastic idea!" Iida chimed in, saving the teen from having to say the lie himself.

Todoroki stalked off without a word to the changing room. He'd dried himself and almost managed to pull on a shirt before a gasp made him freeze, a sinking feeling hitting him in the gut just as hard as his father had. He knew whose voice had come from behind him, the sound making his heart beat faster until he didn't think he'd be able to stand it anymore.

Just as he expected, Midoriya practically sprinted over to him, yanking him around only to gasp again at the purplish-blue mark on his stomach. The dual user kept his eyes averted and his face blank, repeating 'feel nothing' over and over in his head.

"Ssst!" he hissed, hunching over in pain. Midoriya had run his fingers over the bruise, pushing on it like he wasn't sure it was real. Before Todoroki could do anything else though, two warm hands clasped his cheeks, pulling his head down until his forehead rested on the others.

He finally brought his eyes over to Midoriya's face, his mantra to remain stoic crumbling as he watched the tears falling from his crushes closed lids. Todoroki gulped and tried to clear his throat before answering. "It's not as bad as it looks…"

Izuku just shook his head, their position still not changing. "All I did was touch it and you flinched… Was this because I insisted that I come to get you for the pool? Is this my fault? I don't blame you for avoiding me now. I'm so sorry I got you in trouble Todoroki…. I swear I didn't think he'd do this to you and-"

The dual user pulled away and picked up his things before reaching out and gripping one of Midoriya's hands, interlocking their fingers before leading him down the hall towards their bunkroom. He hoped it would be awhile before the others got out of the baths, but at least if they were in the room they'd have a little more time.

Todoroki could hear Midoriya sniffling as they walked, and gave the small, scarred hand a squeeze, silently comforting him. "I'll admit that this was my father's reaction to hanging out with you, but I promise that it isn't your fault. I don't blame-"

"But you should!" Izuku stated, following his friend through the door. "If I hadn't been so stupid, Endeavor wouldn't have… then you and I would still be..."

Todoroki was at a loss, still debating telling Midoriya the real reason he'd been avoiding him. It was selfish for him to risk his crushes future just to be near him, but seeing the boy so upset…he didn't think he could let it go either.

He finally decided that he wasn't ready to tell his crush the entire truth yet, and instead opted to divert their conversation away from him and Endeavor.

"Midoriya…" he started softly, using a curled finger to lift the teen's chin up enough for their eyes to meet. "Will you tell me one of the stories your mom used to tell you?"

Izuku gave a hollow laugh, one that was saturated with self-hatred and failure. "My mom used to only tell me All Might stories…remember?" he replied, dropping his head low again.

Todoroki caught one of the boy's hands, spreading the crooked fingers and then placing them over his heart. He watched Midoriya's face flush, but held the appendage still, making it so he couldn't pull away. "You already know the that my mom's stories were supposed to make me believe that one day I'd be able to surpass my father. But it was only fiction... I need to have something real I can believe in. A true hero that saves people."

Midoriya could feel how quickly the teen's heart was beating, his green eyes looking sadly at the area. "But my mom's stories are made up too. How is that any different?"

Todoroki finally let go of Midoriya's hand and leaned down, kissing his head with confidence, uncaring how the gesture might seem to anyone, including his crush. He then pulled the boy in close to him, murmuring into his hair "it's different because you are that hero that those stories said you were… I believe in you and I know you'll save me…"

Midoriya's head shot up, and their eyes connected again. The look on his face was too much for Todoroki to handle, and his mind went blank. When his circuits finally rewired, his lips were pressed up against the smaller boys, Izuku's green eyes open as wide as they could possibly be.

He pulled back, consumed by shame and dread from what he'd apparently just done. But then another site filled his peripheral vision. Bakugo was staring right at them, his mouth gaping.

* * *

 **~A Few Minutes Before~**

Kirishima laughed loudly at his classmate's antics, loving how ridiculous everything always was when they got together. Mineta was still practically foaming at the mouth to see the girls, while Iida looked like he might blow out one of his leg engines if it meant he could kick the little pervert to the moon.

He settled back and gazed over at his unimpressed boyfriend, sending a sympathy filled grin his way. "Oh, come on… that was funny and you know it!"

Bakugo snorted and threw his head to the side, displeasure filling his face. "Losers like these have no business at UA."

Kirishima scootched in closer, his sharp, toothy grin getting wider when he noticed the pink that started to creep up the blonde's neck. Seeing as they'd have no privacy at the camp, Kirishima knew that it was going to be a long week. The explosive teen was tightly wound enough before having to curb his sexual frustrations but the redhead just couldn't help himself.

"I'll fucking kill you, shitty hair," Bakugo growled, having figured out what the redhead was up to. "You'd best back the fuck up."

"Awww, come on bro? We're all guys here. Does me being naked make you nervous?" he teased, wiggling one of his eyebrows suggestively. The two of them had decided to keep their relationship a secret from everyone, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun every once in awhile.

Bakugos jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together, his eyes glaring into the water. He couldn't even insult his boyfriend at this point. He was struggling to keep his desire to jump the teen in check and that was almost more than he could handle right then.

Kirishima laughed again but relented, sensing that he was already pushing his luck. He moved some of his wet hair out of his face and leaned back against the rocky wall, his eyes falling on Todoroki who'd stood up to leave and ignored Bakugo's comment.

"Todoroki seems a bit off today, doesn't he? Actually, come to think of it, Midoriya did too. I wonder what's up with them." He mused thoughtfully.

Bakugo growled and splashed water at his lover, "don't you fucking dare!" He had absolutely no intention of listening to yet another attempt at convincing him to make up with the timid teen. But, Kirishima was right. The blonde had noticed how his ex-friends eyes seemed to be sad for most of the time they were fighting their way through the forest.

"Ah, come on dude! Just man up and go ask him what's wrong! I know you saw what I'm talking about… he's upset about something. You want to be the Number 1 Hero right? Well, it won't count if he doesn't give it his all and today, he was only half focused on what was going on around him, even if he did kick some serious ass." The redhead pushed, hoping to appeal to Bakugo's competitive side.

The blonde tsk'd and threw his head to the side again, determined not to fall for it. Those two were his weaknesses and he knew it. Kirishima was able to get through to him even at his darkest moments and Midoriya riled him up in a way no one else could.

Kirishima chuckled again but wasn't planning on giving up. This was the perfect time to push his boyfriend because they'd be stuck together for awhile, and there were plenty of teachers and other students around to intervene if something went terribly wrong.

He moved his hand in the water and covertly placed it on Bakugo's upper thigh, striking up a conversation with Denki at the same time so that he wouldn't look too suspicious. The redhead felt the water near him start to vibrate, knowing that Katsuki was just about to blow his top. His fingers inched farther, heading between the teen's legs and under the small towel that was covering him.

Bakugo let out a loud growl, sending water in every direction as his hands let off a massive explosion. By the time everyone had rubbed their eyes and looked around, the teen was gone. Leaving Kirishima snickering to himself.

"What the hell was that about?" Denki asked, shaking his head.

The redhead shrugged innocently, "oh you know Bakugo, probably just a mood swing."

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement since the boy was often vulgar and quick-tempered. Kirishima just hoped that his interference would lead to some form of resolution soon, especially since he knew he'd pay for that little stunt later.

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 **Okay! Lol! I kind of liked this chapter. Sorry it was so emotional, I was just kind of feeling it ya' know?**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for all your support on this story! Fair warning... it's about to get hella angsty up in here!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 9

Todoroki was never one to let his emotions get the better of him, or even become nervous. It wasn't until he'd fought and subsequently fallen for Midoriya that his level-headedness had begun to falter. But now, between the realization that he'd just kissed his probably straight best friend, and Bakugo of all people seeing it, he suddenly felt overwhelmed. His vision went in and out, his heart beating so loudly in his ears he would soon be deaf.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" Bakugo shouted. Even his voice sounded confused, a mixture of anger, shock, and disbelief.

Todoroki turned to the one that had shouted, his hazy mind attempting to come up with an explanation and failing miserably. He couldn't see the blondes face clearly, his eyesight still a blur, but he could imagine the expression. Then, his head swayed back in Midoriya's direction, somehow noting that the teen hadn't even moved. His big green eyes staring up at him with a wide, blank expression, lips parted in shock.

" _It's too much. I can't handle- I need to get away… I need to leave… This isn't happening…"_ Then he ran. Away from Bakugo and his crush, away from their room and down the hall, his feet propelling him somewhere -anywhere- other than what was in his mind, the scene of the crime.

He made it outside of the building before finally collapsing to his knees in horrified shock, dragging himself behind a bush to hide. It was pitiful and he knew it, but his nerves were so electrified all he felt was numbness.

The dual user tried to tell himself that he should be relieved. He truly believed that he'd just ruined his chances of ever being friends with Midoriya again, but that could also mean he wouldn't have to try so hard to avoid him. Even as kind as the green haired teen was, he'd undoubtedly do that work himself, keeping a steady distance between them until there was nothing left of what Shoto had considered to be his most precious connection.

It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have to choose between his love for Izuku and protecting the boy's dream of being a pro-hero. Perhaps subconsciously he'd known what would happen, allowing Midoriya to come to his home as a form of self-sabotage.

If he'd just been able to keep his feelings in check then Endeavor wouldn't have made such a terrifying threat in the first place and he could have continued to push his intimate desires down in order to remain friends. At least he believed he could live with that. But now, even if by some miracle he got out from under his father's thumb, there was nothing left between them but an awkward, one-sided kiss.

He dropped his head down and let out a dry, shaking sob as the numbness faded and he finally felt the Earth-shattering pain of heartbreak.

* * *

Midoriya was still frozen, unmoving after Todoroki had retreated. Bakugo had now had enough, and stomped over, giving the teen a harsh smack to the face. "I said fucking answer me, Deku! What the fuck was that shit?"

As if he'd been under a spell, Midoriya blinked and touched his lips, before hissing slightly at the growing pain in his cheek. "Kacchan?" he questioned. "What just… Wait! Where did Todoroki go?!"

The blonde took a step back and sized up his ex-friend, then snorted, remembering when he'd first realized his feelings for the redhead were mutual.

 _ **~*Flashback*~**_

Kirishima ran after the blonde, the boy he'd long pined over, his heart beating quickly from exertion and nerves. "Yo! Bakugo. Awesome job at the sports festival, using my quirks limit and everything against me. You did really well man, I'm proud of you! Oh, wait! Where's your medal? I thought someone with an ego as big as yours would have it hanging around their neck like some douche."

Bakugo growled and sent off a warning blast in the redhead's direction before continuing to stalk off. As much as he pretended not to like the presence of anyone, Kirishima was the exception. Not that he'd let the teen know something like that. The idiot was just an all-around nice guy who could get along with pretty much anyone; it wasn't like it was special that he talked to him or anything.

But the boy didn't back off, and kept the quick pace, smiling up at the sky with his signature toothy grin.

"Can I fucking help you, shitty-hair?" he hissed, unsure as to why the boy was following him home.

"Woah! Bakugo asking if he can help? The world must really be about to end. In that case-" Kirishima started but was quickly cut off.

"Go. Away. The only reason I teamed up with you was because your quirk could handle at least some of mine. I have no intentions of being friends with you so beat it, loser!" the blonde boy stated coldly, keeping his red eyes forward so they wouldn't betray how untrue those words were.

"There he is! And the cosmic stability has returned!" Kirishima continued, seemingly unphased by the harsh interruption. "Look, just hear me out okay? Then you can blast my ass to the moon if that's what you want to do."

Bakugo snorted but stopped walking and faced the teen, crossing his arms across his chest and standing as tall as possible. He didn't know what the other wanted to talk about, but he respected the fact that Kirishima was always upfront about what he was thinking. He never pulled any punches, backed down from a fight, or took anything personally. Those were just a few of the reasons Katsuki had fallen for the redhead, and why he'd stifle his irritation just long enough to listen before telling him to hit the curb. Unfortunately for him, the next words that slipped into his ear would be the first to break down his carefully placed emotional walls.

"I know you'll probably think it's kind of lame or whatever, but I can't say I'm manly unless I do this so… I just wanted to tell you that I like you… like in a more than friends kind of way. That's all. Alright dude, sorry to have bothered you while you were walking home. See you in class!"

Kirishima had told himself prior to running after the blonde that he would stay and see how Bakugo reacted. But as soon as the sound of his confession assaulted his own ears, he'd just about lost his nerve completely, and couldn't stand the idea of having to be rejected right then. The redhead figured he'd just get an earful on Monday and hope they could still be friends, if that's what they even were, afterward.

Bakugo, however, stood rigid, unable to process what had just come out of the redhead's mouth. Surely he'd misheard him, or this was just Kirishima's idea of a sick joke – a way to get back at him for all the cruel things he'd said. But one look at those nervous, soft eyes said differently.

The teen had almost made it to the next street before Bakugo's senses returned and he realized his crush had already run off. He took a deep, angry breath and chased after him, knocking the boy into an alley with his hands already primed to explode. "What's your game." He said deathly low, his forearm placed menacingly on the boys surprisingly unhardened throat.

"Come on Bakugo… that's no way to treat someone who just confessed their feelings to you. If you don't feel the same way it's no big deal. I just didn't feel right hanging around you without saying something you know?" Kirishima answered, putting his hands up submissively.

Bakugo swallowed hard and pushed them apart, his hands squeezing and relaxing in agitation. His mind fought with itself, torn between accepting and returning the feelings he knew he had for Kirishima, and the boy's safety. He'd only let his guard down once, and that painful experience had left him always secretly insecure about controlling his power.

A warm hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts, and his hard eyes met Kirishima's. "What's the matter, Bakugo? It's not like you to be so… unresponsive."

"Just shut your mouth shitty-hair! You don't know anything about me." He hissed back, but he didn't leave. His feet refused to carry him away from the boy he'd fallen so hard for.

Kirishima smiled again and stepped forward, bringing them so close they could feel each others body heat. He slid his hand up slightly, rubbing the back of Bakugo's neck gently. "Can I kiss you?" he finally asked, sensing that it wasn't just his declaration that had the teen so wound up.

The blonde unconsciously moved his head forward, silently giving the other boy permission. Their lips almost touched before memories flooded back to him and he yanked himself away, his palms igniting against the opposite wall and he heaved air into his tight chest.

"No… Fucking hell Kirishima. I can't fucking do this…"

The redhead looked concerned and first, but then his face softened, and he tilted his head to the side. "Saying you can't do something is very different than saying you don't want to… So, what is it? I mean, if you want to kiss me and I want to kiss you… won't you at least give it a try?"

Bakugo shook his head and looked down at where the wall had turned black from his hands, accidentally letting worry slip onto his face before it hardened back into its usual scowl. Right as he was about to mouth off an insult, however, Kirishima was pushed up against him, his lips pressed forcibly against his own.

Without trying to shove the other boy off, he let his sweating hands ignite again, believing the heat and sparks would do what he didn't have the strength or will to do. To his surprise, he felt the redhead smirking into the kiss.

Feeling a surge of anger flow through him, he brought his hands up to the boy's hips, sending off another round of explosions to thoroughly make his point. He was dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. But again, there wasn't even so much as a flinch from Kirishima. He'd stayed exactly where he was, their mouths pressed up against each other, unmoving.

" _His quirk…"_ Bakugo realized. A rush of relief and hope bled through him, driving out his frustration and worry. He hesitantly started moving his lips, nearly melting when Kirishima wrapped his strong arms around his neck to deepen the action.

When they finally pulled back for air, he didn't even consider scowling. How could he when the boy he'd longed for was holding onto him so tightly, giving him that wonderous toothy grin.

"You won't hurt me, Katsu…" the redhead stated, leaning in for another round.

Bakugo inwardly groaned at the name but decided to let it slide for now.

 _ **~*End Flashback*~**_

As his memory of that day faded, he saw his own reaction reoccurring in Midoriya. With an inward growl, he knew he'd frozen just like him. _"It must be the first time that's happened…"_

"Oi… Icy-hot took off after you just stood there like an idiot. I bet he's halfway back to town with how long you blanked out. Fucking Deku." He muttered.

Midoriya's jaw snapped shut, his eyes starting to well with tears. Had he really done what Bakugo claimed? If that was true he didn't doubt Todoroki would leave; the teen was so emotionally damaged from his father it was probably too much for him to handle, seeing him unresponsive after kissing him.

"K-Kacchan…" he whimpered, feeling even worse than he had after seeing those terrible bruises.

"Ahh fuck…" Bakugo responded, his body sagging as if the whole situation was a huge bother. "Just wait here while I go get shitty-hair."

* * *

When Kirishima waltzed in, having no prior knowledge as to why Bakugo had practically dragged him from the hot spring, he was immediately concerned. "What the hell? What did you say to him?" he asked, putting his hands on the boys shaking shoulders.

"Don't fucking put this on me, hair for brains! I came in here after you forced me out of the bath to find icy-hot kissing Deku, but this loser froze and let him run off. Now he's fucking crying everywhere and I don't want to deal with this bullshit." Bakugo answered, throwing his head to the side.

He knew exactly what Midoriya was feeling. The disbelief over what had just happened, the self-hate for freezing like a frightened child afterward, and then the overwhelming guilt for letting the ones they cared for run off believing that they didn't feel the same. But, despite the progress he'd made, he couldn't bring himself to show such understanding yet.

"Bro…" Kirishima started, giving the teen a light shake. "It's okay… I'm sure you just need to talk to him about it. If he kissed you that means he likes you… so do you not feel the same way or…?"

"O-of c-cou-rse I d-do!" Midoriya sobbed, his head falling into Kirishima's chest. "I j-just p-panicked…"

The redhead clicked his tongue. He knew what was happening. Despite being one of the lower ranked students in the Class 1-A, he had a real gift when it came to people. Kirishima knew of the power dynamic between Bakugo and Midoriya, and also knew that not everyone could take the blondes cruel words without internalizing them like he could.

It was likely that Izuku's confidence in himself was still too low to have believed that Todoroki had feelings for him, much like Bakugo's reaction to his confession. Not to mention the emotional scars he figured icy-hot had as well. But, if Midoriya's current meltdown was any indication of how deeply he cared for the dual user, he figured that they just needed a little push.

"Look… Katsu and I had a similar interaction when I first told him how I felt…" he started, giving pause when he heard Bakugo cursing behind him.

Midoriya looked up and then glanced back and forth between the two, his eyes widening in realization. _"Of course… that's what Kacchan meant when he apologized to me after our practical. He listened to Kirishima because he loves him and their relationship is helping him do better… I should have known…NO! I need to focus on Todoroki right now; I hurt him so badly being stupid as usual…"_

"What do you mean?" he finally managed to get out, sniffling his tears back as best he could.

"I froze too you stupid shitnerd," Bakugo stated hotly, his arms crossed defensively. He glared darkly at his lover, warning him not to say anything about his attempt to help.

Midoriya thought his mind would probably explode if anything else happened that night. But Bakugo's words gave him hope. If he'd done the same thing and Kirishima had still dated him afterward, then maybe, just maybe, he'd have a chance. "I…I've got to find him!" He stated, pulling away.

"Yeah man! You've got this!" the redhead chirped, smiling widely, "hey! Katsu… Tell Midoriya he's got this!"

"Fuck off shitty-hair! You've pissed me off enough tonight don't you think!"

Midoriya left the room, his mind registering that they were still arguing until they were no longer in earshot. He didn't know where Todoroki had run off to, but he had to locate the probably emotionally unstable teen. _"I'll tell him one of my mom's stories, just like he asked. We're going to get through this, just you wait, Shoto…"_

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 **Okay... How was that? Was it cute? I thought it was cute. Please tell me what you think! Next chapter are some confessions... probably... depends on my mood. I'm a moody writer! Sorry! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, hey! Thank you for all of your support! This chapter is going to be a lot to handle I'm sure…**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 10

Todoroki continued to let tears slip down his cheeks silently, hating how utterly weak he felt. It had only been about ten minutes since he'd run off and yet it felt like he'd been blubbering for hours. His head ached, but he refused to use his quirk to cool his swollen eyes, telling himself he deserved to feel like this for what he'd done.

"Todoroki?" Midoriya whispered, obviously trying not to draw attention to the fact they were outside of the building after dark. "Come on… if you're out here, answer me! I'm not mad I swear…"

Shoto scoffed to himself slightly, of course the boy wasn't mad. He didn't have a cruel bone in his entire body and wouldn't blame him for his actions. Still, that didn't mean that he was ready to face him after being so forward with his affections. So, he stayed quiet, closing his eyes against his bent knees.

"Damn it… P-please…" Midoriya continued, his own voice starting to break with emotion. "I-I've looked everywhere inside… We can talk about this…"

The dual quirk user tried to take in a breath, tried to steel himself against the teens nearly panicked whispers. But it didn't work, his heart still felt like it had been stabbed with jagged glass, sending sharp pains through him with every slight spasm of his lungs.

"There you are!" the boy exclaimed, pulling back the bushes to find a still extremely distressed Todoroki. Shoto had his head still buried in his knees, and his arms wrapped around himself for comfort as he shook. It filled Midoriya with guilt to know that he'd set off such a breakdown.

As soon as he tried to reach out though, Todoroki flinched away, his face never raising enough for Midoriya to see. He took a breath and tried to collect himself; usually, it was the dual user that was calming him down and making feel better, not the other way around. He also highly doubted this was just from the kiss alone. No, it was probably just the last pebble before breaking the damn.

There were so many things Izuku thought he could say, but each one sounded hollow in his mind until it came to him. An ultimate show of trust that would prove how much he believed in their bond. He knew he couldn't tell Todoroki the whole truth about his quirk yet, but he could tell him something he'd never told a single soul before.

"When I was really little, I had a lot of other hero names picked out besides Deku. 'Mighty All Man', 'Mighty Boy', 'All Might Junior', 'Mighty Man', 'Captain All Might', even 'Super All Might' he finally stated, his voice as soft as the snow Todoroki's mother used to make.

Shoto tightened his grip around himself but appeared to be listening to whatever it was Midoriya was going to start rambling about. Taking that as a good sign, Izuku sat down next to him and started playing with the light ice that had formed on the ground. "My mom's favorite was Super All Might. She would tell me that I was the best sidekick to All Might, his right-hand man… That I was destined to become the next hero, the newest symbol of peace. I believed her with all my heart until we found out when I was four that I was quirkless."

That made Shoto's head snap up, his red, puffy eyes glaring at Izuku accusingly. "You have a quirk." He seethed, his teeth grit together. If what had just happened wasn't enough, he couldn't stand the idea that Izuku was now straight up lying to him, and for no apparent reason.

"You're right, I do have one now… but… that wasn't always the case. In fact, I didn't get a quirk until my last year of middle school." Izuku swallowed hard and looked deeply into Todoroki's eyes.

"I don't know what it's like to be powerful from a young age and be pushed so hard by my parents like you… But I can speak about how it was growing up the complete opposite. After everyone started getting their quirks in kindergarten, I was bullied constantly. The students, the teachers, random bystanders…. It didn't matter to them because I was just a weak, quirkless loser."

Todoroki bit the inside of his lip. He'd never imagined that someone like Midoriya would be tossed to the side like trash. Even if he didn't have an amazing quirk, the boy himself was so kind-hearted and adorable. But, Midoriya wasn't finished.

"Back when we were starting to apply to high schools, my teacher pointed out that I, someone who was still quirkless at the time, wanted to get into the UA Hero Course. I'm not sure if he wanted to discourage me, or why he said it, but it only made my life harder. Everyone in the class laughed at me and pushed me around even more afterward. It was the same day as the sludge villain attack, and of course, I was one of the people targeted."

Shoto narrowed his eyes some. He'd seen the news, but it had only mentioned Bakugo as a victim. So, he told Midoriya as much, clearly challenging his story.

"That's true, but actually that was my fault too. The sludge villain caught me and All Might saved me from him. I wanted to be a hero so badly that I stupidly grabbed onto his leg while he was leaping off to take the villain to the police, and he got away without us noticing. Anyway, I asked All Might if I could be a hero too, and you know what he said? No… not without a quirk I couldn't."

Todoroki couldn't believe that the number one hero could be so cold. He knew that it was probably done out of concern for Midoriya's safety, but still, to crush a boy's dreams like that... Now their connection made sense in some ways, why the Number 1 Hero always seemed to favor the green haired teen. It was because Midoriya hadn't given up after he'd been told so many times that he couldn't do it.

"I was crushed…" Izuku stated, his head hanging low. "Being a hero was all I'd ever wanted and I felt stupid for thinking it could have come true. On my way home, I thought about everything everyone had said to me. How I was worthless, weak, quirkless… How even my idle All Might had told me I couldn't do it. So, I made a decision..."

Todoroki felt his chest flutter, imagining a slightly younger Midoriya becoming even more determined. But that feeling was decimated instantly by what his crush said next.

"I decided that I'd pack up my stuff so that mom wouldn't have to, and the next day I'd jump off my middle school building. I just… I couldn't handle it anymore; it was too much. I really thought that maybe if I died, I'd be reborn with a quirk next time…"

Todoroki's throat felt dry, his heart stopping at the very thought of Izuku taking his own life. He'd always thought that the boy was the sunshine that pushed away every cloud, that chased away the darkest nights. But it would seem that even the brightest light could get overtaken. "T-then…h-how?"

Midoriya looked up at the sky, the stars reflecting beautifully against his misty green eyes. "I was actually the stupid kid that ran in after Kacchan… All Might saw me and well… I guess I changed his mind. He caught up to me before I made it home and told me that he was wrong, that I could do it. For the next ten months he put me through absolute hell, but eventually, I did get the quirk of my dreams… and here we are."

"D-does he know?" Todoroki asked, still nearly paralyzed in horror.

"No, I've never told anyone what terrible thing I was going to do that day. Not my mom, or my new friends, not even All Might even though he saved me."

Shoto put his head back down to his knees and felt more tears start to fall. He didn't think any less of Midoriya for almost losing it after what he'd been through, but he did feel stupid for assuming the boy's life had been a breeze. It had just never occurred to him that sweet, brilliant, beautiful Midoriya could have been treated so poorly that he felt that was his only escape. "Why… why tell me then?"

Midoriya's face dusted pink and he hesitantly reached out to brush his fingers against Shoto's cheek, undeterred by the subsequent flinch. He leaned sideways as he gently pulled the boys face towards him until their lips brushed against one another's, the touch as light as air. He let his eyelids flutter closed as he shifted again, pressing their slightly parted mouths together more firmly this time.

Neither moved at first, but eventually, Midoriya pulled away, resting his forehead on Todoroki's frozen collarbone. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know that no matter how bad the situation is, there's always hope… And I think… No… I'm sure… I feel safe letting you see the darkest parts of me because I've fallen in love with you…" he whispered.

For Todoroki, the universe itself stopped.

* * *

Bakugo grumbled loudly as he threw his bed together, hating how Kirishima seemed mildly unphased by what had just transpired.

"I'm really proud of you bro! That was super manly how you stepped up and helped Midoriya you know?" the redhead stated, lounging on his own poorly made futon.

Bakugo snorted and sat down, rubbing his still aching arms. He'd have probably relaxed in the bath a lot longer if all that shit hadn't gone down. "Just shut it, Kirishima. It was your fault I had to get involved in the first place."

"Awww! You didn't call me shitty-hair this time. You must really be feeling generous tonight!" he responded, his shark teeth poking out in a wide smirk.

Without warning, Bakugo twisted and clamped his lips firmly on his lovers, his strong body leaning over Kirishima's as he attacked his mouth ferociously. The redhead chuckled into the angry display of affection and wrapped his fingers into the boy's spiky hair. When they finally released one another, Bakugo dropped down and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm only generous for you, shitty-hair."

Kirishima flipped onto his side so that he could look at his lover pouting beside him. "It's a shame we can't snuggle in the same bed tonight. I have a feeling you could let off a little steam."

"Fuck off, I don't cuddle."

"Sure you don't…" Kirishima taunted, pulling out his phone. He flipped through the pictures until he found the perfect one, showing it to a now heavily blushing Bakugo. "Come on, look at how peaceful you look. You've got me all wrapped up in your teddy bear hug, and some might say there's even a hint of a smile on that handsome, sleeping face."

Bakugo attempted to growl, but it came off as an embarrassed squeak, which only fueled his growing discomfort. He loved Kirishima, and the boy knew it. It took all of his willpower during school not to reach out and hold his hand when they walked or kiss his cheek whenever he'd start to laugh. But he just couldn't allow himself to do such things in public. No, he saved that side of him solely for the redhead to experience.

Katsuki looked over to where the boy was still laying, his soft red eyes gazing at the picture lovingly. He reached out and brushed his knuckles against the boy's hand, hesitantly gripping his fingers afterward. 'I don't deserve you, Eijiro…' he wanted to say. But he couldn't get the words out, his eyes speaking for him.

"You can't hurt me, Katsu…" the boy answered, his voice just as soft as his gaze. "And I love you just the way you are."

Bakugo nodded, but he still didn't look convinced. "After what I did to Deku when we were kids… I…."

Kirishima nodded and kissed the boys ever-sweating palms, tasting the nitroglycerine that had accumulated there. "Midoriya doesn't even remember, and if you ever decide to tell him, he won't care, Katsu. You've been beating yourself up for years… just let it go, man…"

Bakugo took a heavy breath and gave Kirishima's hand one more squeeze before pulling it away, aware of footsteps coming towards there room. "Do you think they'll work it out?" he whispered.

The redhead rolled onto his back and pulled the covers up around himself. "I know you'll beat some sense into them if they don't."

"Heh… I guess that's true." Bakugo replied.

* * *

"S-say that again?" Todoroki stuttered, his heart racing faster than it ever had before. When Midoriya didn't immediately answer, he gripped the boy's shoulders and pushed him away, holding him up so that he could look him in the eyes.

The teen's face was bright red, but he slowly shifted his body, straddling his completely shocked crush as he cupped his face. Then, he repeated his final words before leaning in for another sweet kiss, "I said… I love you, Shoto."

Todoroki hesitated for only a brief second before wrapping his arms around Midoriya tightly, pulling him flush against himself as they commenced their deep, desperate kiss. It was everything that he'd hoped for and more. There was nothing about Midoriya that he would ever change.

It was far too soon when they had to pull back for air, but it gave them a chance to look into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry I froze back there… I just couldn't believe that you actually liked someone like me…" Midoriya whispered, his fingers dancing in Todoroki's soft hair.

The elder teen shook his head before resting it in Izuku's neck, breathing in his beautiful scent. "I love you too…I have for a while…"

Midoriya planted angel kisses over the boy's crown and soothingly rubbed his still tense shoulders. "I know that your dad hates me… but please… I don't want to lose you."

Todoroki became rigid again beneath his spread legs, his breath becoming heavy and cold. _"Should I tell him what he's going to have to give up if we try to be with each other? No… not after what he just told me. Midoriya was going to commit suicide he was so depressed about not getting to be a hero… I couldn't take this away from him… I would never forgive myself…"_

Shoto looked up, a sad determination in his eyes as he stood and lifted the teen with him. He gave Midoriya one more kiss, mentally recording everything about it. The way his hair smelled, the way his sweet lips tasted, the smoothness of his skin, the slight moan that slipped into his mouth and the look of pure bliss on his precious face. Everything. Then he pulled away.

"We can talk some in class, and I'll always be there to protect you, but I can't be with you, Midoriya. Not as a boyfriend, not as a lover, not even as a friend. I'm sorry…"

And with that he turned and left, knowing that the green haired boy's heart was breaking just as painfully as his own. But this was necessary. If he truly loved Izuku, then the only thing he could do was walk away.

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 **Oooo I bet the ending to this chapter is pissing some people off… sorry about that! Lol I just couldn't help myself… it seemed so perfect!**

 **Please tell me what you thought! Follow/Review/Favorite!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I know, I know… The last chapter was painful… I can't say this one will be any better, but I haven't decided yet. I mean really though, since it's following the Manga/Anime, we all know what's coming and damn it all, that was heartbreaking itself!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 11

Todoroki snuck back into the now darkened bunk room, making his way to his futon. His insides were twisting painfully but also felt at ease. It was a paradox he couldn't even begin to fathom at the moment, but if he had to guess, it stemmed from deciding to give up Izuku so that the teen could have the future he'd always wanted.

He felt the fuzz on his neck stand up and glanced around to see Bakugo's ruby eyes glaring at him expectantly from his own bed. He felt his jaw tighten and lowered his head slightly, hating that the class bully of all people knew about his feelings for the mossy-haired teen.

Bakugo, however, rolled his eyes and huffed in irritation before throwing his covers off and getting up. As he passed Todoroki, he shoved his shoulder hard, knocking the taller teen out of his way as he stomped off down the hall. Shoto wondered if he should follow after him, since it appeared he was heading in the same way he'd just come from but decided against it, he didn't think he could face Midoriya again just yet.

* * *

Midoriya was still standing where Todoroki had left him, his statement about their relationship replaying in his mind like a terrible soundtrack. It grated his insides and left him feeling hollow and defeated, but even worse, he couldn't bring himself to argue. If that's really what Shoto wanted, then he figured he couldn't push him into something he wasn't ready for.

Still, tears poured from his eyes that he didn't bother to wipe away, his hands still trembling at his sides. He could hear someone coming and prayed that it was Todoroki, but of course, he'd never had that much luck.

"Hey, nerd…." The newcomer said, and Midoriya knew immediately who'd come outside. The usually harsh voice sounded softer though, almost sad.

Izuku hiccupped and wrapped his arms around himself, hunching down to make himself seem smaller and less like a target. The last thing he needed right then was Bakugo breaking him down even farther than he already was.

"Deku… I don't know what happened between you and fucking icy-hot, but get your shit together and look at me, damn it!" Bakugo hissed, giving the teens shoulder a small squeeze. The sensation was almost comforting, and that made Midoriya more nervous than anything else. Katsuki was never gentle, never kind… whatever was happening wasn't normal.

"What do you want Kacchan…" he whimpered, wishing his voice sounded stronger. But he still didn't turn around; he couldn't bring himself to face his ex-best friend and current bully.

"Grrr… Damn it!" Bakugo growled, forcing Midoriya around and then pausing. It seemed like an eternity passed, but he expelled all the air from his lungs and then pulled the green haired boy into a tight hug, deciding that it was now or never.

Katsuki could feel the teen tensing and freezing beneath his touch, but he held on. "Deku… damn it… just fucking calm down already… tell me what happened…"

When the boy didn't do anything he finally pushed him back, keeping his grip firm on his shoulders, examining the teen's shock and confusion filled face. He couldn't blame him, after all, Izuku had been the target of all of his rage for years and receiving a hug was probably the last thing he'd expected.

"Look, if you're not going to talk then I am. I… Fuck… Damn, shit, stupid fucking shitty hair… Alright. Fuck." Bakugo grunted, his face paling in the moonlight. The stumbling string of cusswords got Midoriya's attention though, and his big green eyes looked up in concern and curiosity.

Bakugo sighed and gazed at the night sky, wishing that he had more of a resistance to Kirishima's influence. "Do you remember when I stopped being your friend, Deku?" he asked, resigning himself to confessing the truth.

Midoriya tilted his head and sniffed. "Of course I remember, I'd just gotten out of the hospital and you said that you'd blown me away for being quirkless…"

"I… Fuck… This is hard… I lied to you, Deku…" Bakugo hissed, finally releasing the teen so that he could rub his face in frustration. "I did hurt you with my quirk, but it was a damn accident…"

Izuku felt his blood run cold in his veins. _"An accident? There's no way, absolutely no way… Kacchan had already started to bully me because he'd gotten his quirk and I never would. I was already Deku to him…"_

Sensing his disagreement, Bakugo huffed again, but let shame creep onto his face. "You hit your head on a rock, so when I realized you didn't know what had happened, I hid the fucking truth, okay? We'd already known for awhile that you didn't have a damn quirk, but I still let you hang out with me until then. Didn't you think it was strange that I decided that wasn't allowed anymore all of a sudden?"

Midoriya nodded slowly, he had to admit that it was a pretty harsh change, even if he shouldn't have been surprised that it happened. But what bothered him was that Kacchan had hurt him on accident, when from the beginning he'd always had excellent control. It just didn't seem possible that it wasn't on purpose. So, he said as much.

"Fucking hell, Deku… I'm only going to say this once so don't interrupt me. This is what happened…"

 _ **~Flashback: 5 Years Old~**_

"You're such a dork, Deku! Why are you fidgeting like that?" Bakugo asked, looking over at his quirkless friend in annoyance. Still, the action was endearing even if he thought it was a display of weakness and lack of confidence.

Midoriya gulped but looked up at his friend from beneath his wild hair. "Kacchan… don't be so mean! I'm just nervous that's all!" he whined.

"Oh yeah? What's the matter, Deku? Is someone else picking on you? I'll blast their asses to the moon if that's the case. No one gets to be mean to you but me!" Bakugo growled, giving the smaller boy a confident grin.

Izuku's face got really red and he shook his head quickly. He didn't want Kacchan to beat up anyone, even if it was for him. Still, he'd asked him to play today so that he could talk to him about something that had been bothering him for a couple days.

"It's not like that Kacchan… I just… Umm…" he squeaked, trying to force the words from his mouth.

"Look loser, just spit it out! I want to go exploring without having to worry about you fainting or some shit like that." Bakugo stated, crossing his arms with a disapproving look.

"Well… it's just… I know all the boys say the girls have cuties and all, but, they still want to play with them and they even looked excited when we saw those teenagers kissing last week… But, it just grossed me out. I can't imagine kissing a girl at all, even if they don't have cuties when they get older!" Midoriya confessed, his head hanging low while tears started pouring from his eyes.

Bakugo was somewhat confused by the statement at first, but let out an understanding sigh soon after. "Stop being such a crybaby Deku… There's nothing wrong with you aside from the fact that you're a quirkless idiot. I don't care if girls have cuties either, they don't interest me."

Midoriya snapped up and looked in awe at his friend. He'd been terrified of what Kacchan might say to him and he'd never expected the boy to actually agree with his point of view. He was so envious of how confident Bakugo was, coming out and saying what he felt without even worrying about it. Then, however, it occurred to him that if they didn't really like girls, who were they supposed to like?

Katsuki growled, scolding Midoriya for thinking his thoughts out loud again. "Stupid Deku, if we don't want to kiss girls then obviously when we get big and strong we'll want to kiss boys!" He declared loudly, flicking the boy on his forehead as if he should already know that.

"But how do you know that, Kacchan! What if we are really weird and don't like anyone? I don't want to be quirkless and alone too!" Midoriya wailed, trying to rub the tears from his eyes. He was barely holding onto his dream of being a hero as it was and thinking about how lonely his mom was without someone who loved her around made him sick.

"The how about we test it out, huh? We can kiss and if it feels like how adults talk about girls then we'll know for sure right?" Bakugo boasted, laughing at how red his friends face had gotten. He didn't really expect Midoriya to agree though, and once he saw that mess of hair nod, he suddenly felt unsure of himself.

It wasn't like he and Deku liked each other as more than friends. If anything, Bakugo considered the smaller boy to be his weak little brother, and he knew Deku felt the same. But, even if it was just little Izuku, the idea of actually kissing anyone other than his parents made him feel nervous. Still, he'd said it so he couldn't back down now. He pulled Deku closer to him and kept his hands on the boy's shirt.

In his child-mind, he was aware that his hands were sweating much more than usual, the smell of nitro powerful. But Deku had never had a problem with the Nitroglycerine, so he shrugged it off, leaning down to place a peck on Izuku's parted, trembling lips.

As soon as their skin connected, however, he heard the boy squeak happily and closed his eyes. It only took a second before he stopped paying attention to his hands and a loud 'BOOM' echoed in his ears. When the smoke cleared, he could see Izuku's limp body, burned and twisted laying several feet away from him, his head bleeding against a rock.

Panic gripped his heart as he realized he'd lost control, and he stared at his smoking hands in disbelief and horror. _"No! This wasn't supposed to happen! Everyone told me that I had the quirk of a hero! That I could be the next All Might! I hurt Deku without even trying! Shit! Izuku!"_

 _ **~End Flashback~**_

"Just fucking seeing you laying there like that… All I could think about was the fact that you were always going on about being a damn hero and it only took a few seconds for me to hurt you that badly. I… I couldn't fucking handle it alright? I thought if I bullied you then you'd stay away from me until I'd have full control of my powers, and you'd just forget about being a fucking hero… but you never did either of those things." Bakugo concluded, his breathing heavy as he tried to control himself.

He shifted nervously on his feet, waiting for Midoriya to respond to the story he'd just told him. If there was anything he hated, it was having to be patient. "Damn it, Deku. Fucking say something- anything I don't care. But stop standing there wide-eyed like a fucking loser!"

"You… were trying to keep me safe?" Izuku whispered, his voice shaking with some unknown emotion.

"Of course I was, you fucking idiot! I just… URRRGH! You're so damn stubborn! Eijiro says I have a warped way of showing I care but I can't fucking help it okay? That's just who I am." Katsuki nearly shouted, pulling on his hair.

Midoriya flinched and returned his gaze to the ground. Even if keeping him safe had been his friend's intention, it had inadvertently caused him to become so depressed that he'd almost jumped off a roof to get away from his pain. At the same time, he knew that every time Bakugo had been faced with a problem when they were younger, he'd always been crass and a complete jerk to whoever tried to make him see another path.

"It's… Alright…" he mumbled, still hesitant to fully forgive the blonde before him. There was so much pain from years of abuse that a part of him didn't want to be selfless. He was about to say as much when those strong arms wrapped around him again, and he felt warm tears flooding onto his shoulder, the boy shaking as soft sobs pulsed through him. He gasped quietly at the sensation, his body freezing again.

"De- NO, Izuku… I'm so sorry… Thank you… Shitty-hair told me that you'd forgive me but I didn't believe him. I'd take it all back if I could… I swear on my dream of besting All Might that I'll do better now that I can admit how wrong I was…"

That was it. That was all Midoriya needed to hear. His heart fully opened for the blonde and he hugged him back, pulling him close and smelling the familiar smoky musk that was Bakugo. It reminded him of when they were still young and innocent to the way the world worked. He could forgive him for what he'd done, after all, he'd always kept hope in his heart that things would change between them.

"I do forgive you, Kacchan… You were my best friend and I'm sorry you felt you had to do those things to protect me, even if you are naturally good at being an ass…" he stated, making the statement more light hearted towards the end.

The two stayed that way for some time, both crying into each other as the terrible wall between them finally crumbled. It was Bakugo that pulled away first, wiping his tears furiously and returning his face to a scowl.

"Now tell me damn it! Did that Icy-Hot bastard do something to upset you? I'm the only one that gets to fucking pick on you!" Katsuki hissed.

Midoriya couldn't help but smile, remembering how many times the boy had said something similar to him when they were best friends. His lightened mood soured though when his thoughts finally returned to Todoroki. "Well…"

* * *

Todoroki lay awake, wishing that either Midoriya or Bakugo would just come back already so that he could stop worrying about what the two were up to. He desperately needed sleep, his body aching to fall into that deep bliss.

But, he knew with the anxiety that coursed through him, he'd never be able to rest peacefully. Bakugo had hurt Midoriya repeatedly and was undoubtedly a huge part of why the boy's confidence was so low, even if he had apologized.

Then again, he knew he couldn't get involved as much anymore. He had to keep his promise to Mrs. Midoriya, but at the same time, comforting Izuku when it wasn't absolutely necessary could lead to something intimate happening now that he was sure his desires were reciprocated. That would end in disaster he was sure.

Izuku was like a drug to him and he couldn't afford to even sample it lest he become completely addicted like he had before. He sighed and closed his eyes, giving a silent prayer to anyone that was listening for everything to be alright.

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 **Okay! So now you know Bakugo's secret, and my version of why he's such a douche to Midoriya. Don't worry, Katsuki is still going to be a dick since that is his base personality, but, things will get better I think!**

 **Let me know what you think with Follows/Favorites and Reviews, please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay… Thank you all so much for all the support you've given me on this story (and my other BMHA stories)! I'm so honored!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 12

For the next two days, everything other than training was seemingly put on hold. Aizawa put them through workouts from hell starting before sunrise and only ending when the moon was already fairly high in the sky.

Midoriya pushed all of his frustration into doing the exercises Tiger had set out for him, his muscles clawing beneath his skin in a desperate attempt to get him to slow down enough to recuperate. But he couldn't do that. He, of course, wanted the muscle improvement so that he could continue honing his quirk, but he needed the distraction more than anything else.

He could hear Kacchan screaming in the distance and smiled despite the situation with Todoroki. Two people could rile him up into desperation, and it felt nice knowing that one of them was being as loud and brash as ever.

He dared to look at Todoroki next. The poor teen looked plum miserable in his barrel of water, slapping his hand down on it over and over to change it from hot to cold and then back again. It almost made him smile, the teen looked cute even when he was pushed to exhaustion, not to mention incredibly attractive in his muscle shirt.

More than anything, it made Izuku want to cry though. He threw himself back into the awkward, flailing muscle workout after forcing his eyes away from the teen. Every time he looked he felt those strong muscles under his hands and soft lips on his own. _"Kacchan… I know you said to just give it time but, I don't think I can…"_

He hated that Todoroki had practically disowned him after they finally admitted their feelings for each other. In Midoriya's mind, it didn't make sense. Shoto was almost always rational, approaching every problem with a cold and calculating outlook. It was one of the qualities that made him such a formidable opponent in battle aside from his quirk.

So, for him to admit his mutual love only to insist that they couldn't even be friends anymore, it meant that he'd weighed pros and cons and decided that abstaining from their relationship was the most logical option.

That knowledge made Izuku shiver. Endeavor must have really done something terrible for Shoto to have come to such a heartbreaking conclusion. But, Midoriya couldn't fathom what it must have been. He knew Todoroki had already withstood fifteen years of abuse and had remained rebellious, even going so far as to repress his fire quirk.

" _He… He said he loved me, but… Am I not enough? He's defied Endeavor before so… Why not for me?"_ he wondered sadly, his eyes closing when more tears threatened to fall. The self-pity was quickly replaced by self-loathing, however.

" _What is the matter with me? Hasn't he suffered enough? How can I be that selfish? Gods… Todoroki shouldn't suffer because I want to be with him… I'm a terrible person for wanting him to…"_ his thoughts continued, scolding himself for pinning after the forbidden fruit.

Izuku shook his head to clear it, his gut twisting painfully with emotion. He felt so conflicted about the whole situation. _"Think about something else! Anything! Oh… What should I do about Kota? Yeah… that's good… Poor kid; what would All Might do to help?"_

* * *

Todoroki and Bakugo side glanced at each other bitterly, both equally as displeased about being paired up for the test of courage. The blonde attempted to switch with someone but didn't have any luck since Kirishima was the only person other than Midoriya that would bother putting up with his temper.

He watched longingly as his redhead walked away to do his extra study sessions, wishing that he could be curled up somewhere kissing him into delirium. Some of his best memories were watching scary movies with Kirishima and allowing his boyfriend to cling to him during jump scares and tense scenes.

"Fuck," Bakugo growled, turning back to Todoroki with a deep scowl. He could see Midoriya freaking out behind them and almost snickered at him. The teen was either terrified about going wandering through the trail by himself or, more than likely, what might happen between him and Todoroki once they were alone.

"Are you going to look at me like that the entire time?" Shoto asked coolly, bringing his partner's attention back to him.

"What's it to you if I do, fucking icy-hot? Got a problem?"

Todoroki almost sighed and turned away, waiting for their signal to start walking. He could feel those red eyes in his back, staring daggers into him. They wouldn't normally bother him, but he knew that Midoriya had told Bakugo about their confession and subsequent 'break up' if that's what it was.

He didn't know what had happened out there between them, and anyone who hadn't been paying a lot of attention probably wouldn't see the difference, but he could. Katsuki was being borderline kind to Midoriya, sending almost all encouraging stares whenever he caught him looking disheartened.

That probably hurt him almost as much as distancing himself from Izuku. Todoroki and Midoriya had really gotten close after Bakugo had caused him to break down, so knowing that Deku was seeking, and receiving, comfort from his childhood bully to help him get through being rejected was a tough pill to swallow.

It was almost like their places had switched, and now Shoto felt every bit as cruel and harmful as Bakugo had been.

"So, why did you kiss Deku and then fucking turn him away? Little shit already acts like a kicked puppy and now it's going to be even fucking worse." Bakugo hissed.

Todoroki inwardly groaned. Katsuki was bold and honest, getting straight to the point with just about everything he did. He knew this was some form of punishment for breaking Deku's heart, even if it was to save his dream of being a hero.

"I don't want to talk about it. Certainly not with you."

Bakugo snorted and crossed his arms, unphased by the coldness in Shoto's voice. "And why's that? Worried I'll tell someone about your nonexistent love life, icy-hot?"

"No, I just don't see the point of telling the person who made Midoriya 'act like a kicked puppy' anything remotely private. You'd probably use it against him the next time you try to choke him to death against a wall."

Katsuki growled this time, his anger flaring alongside his quirk. But it didn't seem to bother Shoto, who kept his gaze forward and neutral. "Fuck you, scarface. I've got my reasons for every shitty thing I've ever done. What's your excuse? Daddy issues?"

Todoroki stilled and stopped walking, his carefully placed mask cracking some. The only person he'd ever told about Endeavor was Midoriya, so there shouldn't have been any way for Bakugo to know unless his trust had been betrayed. Was Izuku even capable of something like that?

"Tsk… fucking doubting him already? I eavesdropped on your little bitch fit during the sports festival, Deku didn't tell me shit about your life." Katsuki explained. He may have an explosive temper with terrible sense of how to treat people, but he wasn't stupid. He knew exactly how to get under people's skin and pick up on what made them tick.

"I wasn't doubting… I…"

"Yes, you were half and half! Don't even fucking lie. Deku can be fucking useless, a crybaby, and the most annoying little pest in the world but he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Never."

Todoroki looked down at the ground in shame. It was only for a second, but he had thought that Midoriya said something about his past to Bakugo. After everything he'd been through, trusting anyone, even someone as pure as Izuku was hard for him.

"So, what did that bastard say to you, huh? Must have been really fucking bad if you're going to let Deku sulk around after the shit you pulled when we got here." Katsuki pushed, continuing to walk down the moonlit path.

"It's none of your business, Bakugo," Todoroki stated firmly.

"HA! It became my business when you left that little fuck sobbing onto my shoulder. But fine, don't tell me. I'm sure it will be just as fun to watch Deku fall apart trying to figure out what happened. Maybe you haven't noticed, but he already thinks it's because you don't think he's worth it."

"Not worth it?" Shoto grit out, his breath frosting in anger. "Who do you think beat down his confidence to the point that his worth was the first thing he started questioning after I told him it wouldn't work between us? Yours! Izuku and what he wants means everything to me and I'm doing this to protect him you arrogant bastard!"

Bakugo grunted and moved a little faster, deciding to just let the increasingly irate teen be. He'd gotten the answer he needed, even if he didn't have the whole picture. From what Todoroki had said, he could conclude that it was Endeavor that was causing him to backtrack on his feelings and that Deku was threatened somehow.

He doubted that the number two hero would dare to physically go after Izuku, especially with how much All Might doted on him. But from what he'd heard in that hallway at the Sports Festival, he wasn't above destroying people in other ways.

" _So, Izuku and what he wants means everything to Todoroki… Okay, think. Endeavor wouldn't cause bodily harm because it would ruin his career, so icy-hot probably didn't mean that's what he was protecting him from. What Deku wants…"_

Bakugo focused on the specifics of Shoto's words, wracking his brain to find the message between the lines.

" _Obviously, he fucking wants scar face, as dumb as that is… So, then what else does the little shit want? To be All Mights secret kid, to be fucking friends with everyone, to be a hero, to eat katsudon all the damn t-"_

Katsuki's eyes opened wide as realization came over him. Midoriya wanted to be a hero more than just about anything else, and Endeavor was already one of the best with plenty of connections. If he threatened Izuku's future as a hero and Todoroki was aware of how much that would break his heart, he'd probably concede to the flaming bastard.

He glanced over at the sulking teen that was walking beside him, for once feeling sorry for him. _"Why do I surround myself with these fucking sappy assholes. Fuck you Kirishima… You did this shit to me…"_

Bakugo was about to bring up his revelation and tell him to man up when smoke started to fill the area, and he immediately stiffened. "Fucking seriously?" he growled, _"Eijiro, you better fucking be alright!"_

* * *

When Shoji was bolting towards them, Midoriya on his back a mess of broken bones and blood, Todoroki was sure his heart had stopped. He'd promised Inko that he'd take care of Izuku, and yet just a week later his oath had been shattered along with the boy's body.

His rage poured into his flames when Tokoyami took down the blade-tooth villain and it was time to tame Dark Shadow. He tried to breathe in, tried to ignore how Midoriya seemed to be on the verge of blacking out from pain, but it was no use.

It took all of his willpower not to pull the teen from Shoji's dupli-arms so that he could hug and kiss him once more. Shoto battled himself again when Midoriya's mind seemed to be focused solely on Bakugo, and his safety. It wasn't like the worry was misplaced or somehow meant to offend him, but it still stung that Midoriya had barely said anything to him.

Of course, Bakugo was more concerned with blowing away the enemy and not being told what to do to notice his physically ruined classmate/friends fear.

Izuku, however, didn't seem to even mind either way. He was dead focused on getting them all back to safety. His eyes flickered between Bakugo and Todoroki, taking in their states. If he didn't know that Katsuki was the villain's target, he might have been able to breathe more easily.

They traveled successfully until running into Tsu and Ochaco, realizing soon after that Bakugo and Tokoyami had been taken.

* * *

Todoroki stood wide-eyed as Bakugo was pulled into the portal, Midoriya breaking down soon after. He'd tried, but he hadn't been fast enough, and the villain had grabbed him first. He'd tried, but what if he hadn't moved faster because he subconsciously didn't want to.

The thought made his stomach lurch almost as much as the sight and sound of Izuku's defeated wails into the dirt. Surely, he hadn't let it happen, right? He was a skilled fighter, but even he couldn't be perfect, no matter what his father thought.

He stumbled over towards Midoriya in a daze, hand outstretched to try and calm him. But he pulled it back at the last second, settling for just standing near him and choking on his own tears. Endeavors threat was all but gone from his guilt-ridden mind then; he couldn't touch the boy he loved because he was afraid.

If even he wasn't sure that he'd done his best to save Bakugo, and Midoriya knew how much they disliked each other, would the mossy haired teen blame him too? The thought of Izuku's usual loving gaze turning into cold accusation was more than he could bear.

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 **Thank you for reading! Updates might come a little slower now since we're getting towards the end of the anime. I know there is Manga already out, but I'm one of those dumbasses that finds more inspiration in the Anime… But! The story will continue so please, be patient with my slowness.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ya'll…. You're all so good to me! I'm soaking up the support like a sponge and it's just so wonderful!** **Thank you! Sorry for the long wait in between updates.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 13

The rest of the students from class 1-A and 1-B that were still conscious cried over the attack as they waited for the police and more Pros to show up. They held each other for support and called their parents to let them know that they were okay. But not Todoroki.

Shoto watched with a deadpan expression as Midoriya and the rest of the injured students were carried off in ambulances. He kept himself completely under control while the police drove him back to his house. He didn't let a single feeling show on his face when Fuyumi fussed over him. Until he was able to be alone in the familiar training room, he was perfectly statuesque and numb.

But once the sliding door gently clasped behind him, his emotions boiled over. A raging fire burst from his left as deadly shards of ice flew from his right, scorching wood and making it creak with fierce coldness.

With the last of his energy, he destroyed all the machines and other items in the room. He was just as angry with himself as he was with the villains that had hurt Midoriya and kidnapped Bakugo. His mind screamed at him for not being enough… for having resisted his father's training.

Even though rationally he knew Endeavor was just being unnecessarily harsh and cruel in his methods, Todoroki couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had he just been obedient from the start.

As the flames and frost finally receded from his ruined clothes, he let his frustrated tears fall. Todoroki knew that Katsuki and Midoriya had made a breakthrough and he would be even more devastated than he already was if the blonde wasn't saved.

More than that, Shoto didn't want to give Izuku the chance to think that he hadn't tried his hardest to save Bakugo. He truly had done his best, but it just wasn't good enough and Dabi snatched Katsuki right before he did.

If he made a plan and executed it, then he could prove his worth to himself and Izuku, and hopefully, quell the terrible guilt and sense of failure he was feeling. But before he got to that, there was one more thing he desperately needed to take care of.

He pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling against the keys. It took several tries to get the full message typed, but despite his blurry, leaking eyes and jitters, he managed.

 **[Shoto Todoroki; 10:38 PM]: Mrs. Midoriya, this is Shoto Todoroki. I know I swore to you that I would keep Izuku safe, but I failed tonight and I'm so sorry for being too weak to protect your son. I do not expect your forgiveness or understanding. I just wanted you to know that I am aware of how I've let you down and next time I'll do better. Please, let me know if I can be assistance to you or Izuku.**

Todoroki slowly got to his feet, not actually believing that he'd receive a text back at all, but especially not tonight when she was no doubt falling apart over her gravely injured son. He rubbed his burning face with his right hand, cooling the migraine that was already threatening to blind him.

"We'll get you back, Bakugo. Midoriya needs you…" he murmured.

* * *

Midoriya woke up days later after suffering from bouts of dangerously high temperatures and hallucinations from pain. Almost as soon as his mind focused on his surroundings, he became very much aware of how he'd failed to stop Bakugo from being taken.

His eyes filled with tears and he started to sob, uncaring how each shake in his body giggled his still broken arms. But that wasn't the only thing destroying him at that moment. No, he felt entirely alone. Even though he still had the rest of his classmates, his mom, and of course All Might, it didn't make up for losing the two boys he loved.

Bakugo had once been his best friend and despite how they'd gone years without being close, as soon as they'd had their heart to heart it was like all that time apart was meaningless. Then he'd 'lost' Todoroki just two days before that, the boy rejecting how he felt without giving a reason why.

It was just too much.

Izuku didn't even feel like he wanted to get out of bed anymore, his energy being diverted to replaying the events that led up to what in his mind was his greatest failure as a prospective hero.

'Knock, Knock'

The door to his room slid open as he continued crying, but he didn't care to look. He figured it was probably just another doctor coming to give him more updates on how his arms were one injury away from becoming useless.

"Izuku…"

Midoriya's eyes opened slowly, still blurred from his tears. But he'd placed the voice correctly; it was Todoroki standing beside his bed.

"Shoto?" he asked, sniffling back his sorrow. "Wh-what are you doing here? You s-said we couldn't be f-friends anymore…"

Todoroki looked away for a moment, trying to clamp down on his intense impulse to hug Izuku close and kiss his sadness away. "You're my classmate and you were seriously injured so I came to see you."

Midoriya tossed his head away from Shoto and closed his eyes. Even if what the teen had said was meant to make him feel better, it didn't. In fact, if anything it hurt him even more deeply because he was so vulnerable and the boy was acting like it didn't matter all that much… like he was only there to fulfill some societal expectancy.

"You've seen me… So…" he cried, wishing that he could cover his ears too.

Todoroki gulped, hating the sight of Deku turning away from him with such a devastated expression on his usually happy face. It didn't even look right on someone like him. His father's warning rang in his mind like an ominous crack of thunder, but Izuku was sunshine itself…. So maybe…

"I… Even if we can't be friends anymore that doesn't mean that my feelings for you have changed Izuku…" Shoto offered, his fingers finding their way to the boys tear streaked cheek to thumb it lightly.

It wasn't much, but Izuku whimpered and leaned into the touch slightly. Todoroki immediately frosted over his hand to cool the boy's overheated eyes and temples, rubbing soothingly until he calmed some.

He could see Midoriya's green orbs becoming heavy with exhaustion once more even as he fought to keep himself awake. He pressed his other hand to the teen's stomach and let heat flow through it, giving him the perfect combination of a toasty bed and cool room.

Izuku groaned in gratitude, finally letting his eyes roll back into his head as he fell into a much more comfortable sleep.

"You love him…"

Todoroki almost jumped out of his skin as Inko's voice met his ears and he turned around with a brilliant red on his face. His mouth opened and closed a few times, eyes darting between Midoriya's sleeping form and the boy's mother.

She looked pitiful—hair messy and eyes bloodshot, her whole body screaming fatigue. But the woman had a kind, understanding smile on her lips too.

"It's okay" Inko explained as she walked up to the hospital bed. "He loves you too you know…"

Shoto looked away in shame, doing his best to keep his face more neutral and failing miserably. Of course he knew that; Izuku had made that abundantly clear at the training camp only for him to say they couldn't be together.

But he didn't know how Inko knew too. She didn't say anything about it when he'd shown up at her apartment after Izuku was attacked at the mall, and the boy had been too injured to even be lucid after their training camp disaster.

So, when did he tell her? What did he tell her? Did she know that they confessed and then 'broke up' immediately after?

Inko pet Midoriya's bruised face gently, tears still slipping down her round cheeks. She reached out with her other hand and grabbed Todoroki's forearm, steadying herself as she sat down. But she didn't let go afterward.

"My baby… He… He mumbles to himself so often. It always made my job as a parent so much easier because I always knew what he was thinking. He talked to himself about you frequently, and when I finally became nosey enough to ask he blushed and shrugged me off. A mother knows…" Inko explained, pulling out a tissue to clean herself up some.

Todoroki could feel his face burning with embarrassment but also happiness. He was definitely interested in what Izuku had potentially said about him, but also didn't really want to know. The teen's words and actions always managed to make him feel things he didn't understand or know how to control.

"Oh, and I did receive your text... I'm sorry I didn't answer I just... I was so busy even though I had nothing to do but sit and wait for the doctors to tell me if my Izuku had died or not." She stated, sniffling slightly before continuing.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Todoroki; I know my son better than anyone and he was hurt protecting a child. Please, don't blame yourself for his overwhelming desire to help others or for not being there when it happened. UA is at fault and those villains are to blame... no one else. Anyway, will you sit with me? Just for a little while longer…" Inko asked, squeezing his arm more tightly.

Shoto knew he shouldn't. He should politely decline and get home before anyone else noticed he was in Midoriya's room, but he couldn't. He simply nodded and pulled up another chair, letting the distraught woman cry beside him as he did his best to control the swell of relief he felt building in his chest.

* * *

Kirishima was perhaps even more distraught than Todoroki was but he was holding himself together much more effectively. He promised himself that he would bring his Katsu back and when that happened, he'd get an earful if anyone figured out their true relationship.

So, after spending a good couple of days crying into the massive stuffed bear Bakugo had won for him at the last fair they'd gone to, he cleaned himself up and headed to the hospital; Katsuki would want him to check in on Izuku when he wasn't there.

Almost as soon as he got there though, he ran into Todoroki and asked to accompany him to see Izuku. They exchanged some small talk as they headed to the injured teen's room, pointedly avoiding anything to do with Bakugo and the events that had happened so recently.

But they passed by Momo's room on the way and overheard her telling the police and All Might that she'd managed to place a tracking monitor on the Nomu. They immediately looked to each other and easily understood what the other was thinking.

After sneaking away to somewhere more private, Kirishima bent forward and supported himself with his hands on his knees. The information was as painful as a knife to the gut and as welcomed as his first date with Bakugo.

He chocked out a breath, closing his eyes to keep his hopeful tears at bay. He hadn't been allowed to do anything at the training camp, but he'd be damned if anyone kept him from trying to save him now. When he'd gotten ahold of himself once more, he straightened up and leaned back against the wall.

Todoroki was staring at the redhead with a blank face, but Kirishima figured he knew what he was thinking. 'What the hell is wrong with you?' was probably a safe bet. He weighed his options. Bakugo pretty well despised Shoto and the feeling was mutual.

'The Bakusquad' as the class called them, were really the only people that liked Katsuki other than Midoriya, and so far all of them had shown hesitance with the idea of going after him. If none of Bakugo's other friends were going to help, Todoroki would wonder why he was so determined.

"We're together… Katsu and I…" Kirishima confessed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He waited mostly patiently as the dual user blinked at him, probably having trouble understanding how anyone could find Bakugo remotely desirable.

"What?" Shoto finally responded. His deadpan expression slightly warped into one of bewilderment.

"I… I love him Todoroki… I'd die for him and I need to get him back… Will you help me? I know you don't like each other and he can be a major jerk but he's my jerk and I need him. I'm begging man…" Kirishima asked, his voice wobbling with emotions.

Shoto didn't even have to consider it; he was hell-bent on going after Bakugo from the moment the portal closed but he was still struggling with the reality Kirishima had just dumped on him. In hindsight, it seemed obvious, and he was wondering how he missed it; then again, he was pretty certain that Midoriya didn't like him until he straight up straddled his lap so…

"Come on, Todoroki! Please!" Kirishima nearly shouted, gripping the boy's shirt tightly as he dropped to his knees. "I can't do it alone! My stupid quirk isn't enough so I'm going to have to ask Midoriya if he'll help me. I know how you feel about him so if you won't do it for me or Katsu then come along to protect him!"

Shoto had never had someone beg him before, his nerves already fried from everything that had happened only making him even less able to handle Kirishima properly. He grabbed the boys arm and pulled him back up. "I'll help… just… calm down."

Kirishima started to cry a little and dragged Todoroki into a bear hug, unphased by the incredible tenseness in the teen's body. "Okay… so here's what we should do…"

Todoroki blinked and focused on what the redhead was saying after releasing his hold. It occurred to him that Kirishima and Midoriya were very similar in a lot of ways; it seemed only someone inherently kind, patient, and soft were capable of falling for people like him and Bakugo, who tended to be the exact opposite.

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 **Please, tell me what you think with reviews!** **Thank you for reading and I'll try to update again soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Again, sorry that I'm taking so long to update… I'm trying to figure out how my story is going to go since Endeavor is getting a redemption arc (which I don't think I'm on board with yet, because I think he's awful and doesn't deserve one. Sorry. Just one fans opinion!).**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 14

 _ **~Time-Skip: On the Train to Kamino Ward~**_

Todoroki ate his food in silence after everyone had agreed that they weren't going to back out of going to save Bakugo, not that he really believed any of them would. He covertly glanced at Midoriya, desperate to reach out and hold his hands—to tell him that everything was going to be alright.

Of course, Shoto didn't know that they would succeed, but Midoriya's downcast eyes were so beautifully determined that he couldn't bring himself to believe that they would fail. If Izuku was there and ready to fight to bring Bakugo home, then that's what they would do.

While he was staring, the mossy-haired teen happened to look up, catching him. They kept each other's gaze for a few tense moments but eventually, Midoriya looked away again, stuffing the rest of his food into his cheeks before mumbling about needing to take a quick walk.

Todoroki's heart clenched in his chest, watching as the still injured teen left. He bit the inside of his lip harshly and tried to find something else to busy his turmoil-filled mind. All he could think about was how sad the teen looked, knowing he was probably just as much the cause as Bakugo's kidnapping.

"You should follow him…" Kirishima whispered once Iida and Yaoyorozu started their own conversation about how to best avoid actual combat.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Shoto lied.

"Oh, come on, Todoroki! Katsu called me in to help the night you kissed Midoriya; do you honestly believe he didn't keep me in the loop after that? Just man up and tell the truth!" Eijiro scolded, his voice still hushed but much harsher.

"Just as I told Bakugo, I'm not going to speak about this with you," Shoto responded coldly, his breath already starting to frost over in irritation.

Eijiro closed his eyes tightly, hands clenching. "I'm not asking you to talk to me… It's just… If things go wrong-"

"We aren't going to fail, Kirishima." Todoroki interrupted boldly, though inside he was a bundle of nerves. He couldn't imagine how terrible it must be for the redhead to be in the position he was in, knowing that anything could be happening to Bakugo.

Eijiro's eyes filled with tears, but they were also angry as they opened and turned to Todoroki. "Maybe we don't fail… But we don't know what we're walking into. If something goes wrong, do you really want what's going on between you and Midoriya to be the last thing you have to hold on to?"

Todoroki visibly paled, his eyes widening at what Kirishima was implying. Midoriya was still heavily injured, even if he could use his arms minimally. It had been hard for Shoto to get on board with bringing the mossy-haired teen along because if fighting did break out he'd be at a heavy disadvantage.

But he was also going to be there to protect him, so he'd simply ignored any worry that had been lurking around in his subconscious. The idea of anything else happening to Midoriya was far more than he could handle at the moment, especially with the guilt he already felt from saying he couldn't be with him and then failing to save Bakugo the first time.

"My last memories with Katsu are good…" Eijiro continued, "s-so... if something h-happens to him or a-already has… at least I have that. And the same goes if I get killed trying to save him; he'll remember the happy times."

"What are you trying to say?" Shoto grit out, his throat painfully tight.

Kirishima twisted fully in his chair, grabbing the dual users shoulders and giving him a slight shake. "Stop pretending you don't understand! I'm saying that if this ends badly—in any way—then you don't want Midoriya to be questioning how you feel about him. I don't know you well, Todoroki, but I do know that you're super manly and don't do anything without a reason. Even if you can't be with him… Let Midoriya know that it isn't his fault… just in case it's too late tomorrow."

Shoto stood abruptly, fear gripping his chest and making him nauseous. He tore himself out of Kirishima's grasp and headed after Izuku without another word. He didn't care that Iida and Momo called after him, or that he'd left Eijiro still crying by himself; all that mattered to him was making it to Midoriya.

He found him sitting alone in an empty train car, staring out the window as the bright lights of the city passed by. Todoroki's heart stuttered some, imagining all the terrible outcomes that Kirishima had reminded him of.

Shoto sat in the seat beside him stiffly, the two continuing their tense silence for several slow, painful minutes. But soon, the dual user couldn't take it anymore, and grabbed one of Izuku's still bandaged hands, squeezing as tightly as he dared.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get to him in time," Todoroki stated plainly, keeping his head and eyes forward. Through his periphery, he could see the teens face growing pale, his lip clamped firmly between his teeth.

Midoriya turned towards him, fresh tears pooling in his eyes. "Do you think I blame you?" he asked quietly.

"I promised I'd protect you and you ended up so wounded that your arms are just a few injuries away from permanent paralysis. I said I'd help protect Bakugo and I let that villain grab him first. I told you that I loved you and then just… You have every right to blame me." Todoroki answered, his voice choking slightly at the end.

Izuku looked down at his hands, fidgeting slightly. "Shoto… Please don't think any of this is your fault… I hurt myself because I can't control my quirk and I wasn't able to stop Compress and Dabi either… And… And it's fine about 'us'… I promise!"

Shoto turned then and leaned over, placing his lips on the boys warmed cheek. "I'm still sorry…"

Midoriya breathed out heavily, his eyes closing. He couldn't help but shudder at the wonderful sensation that fluttered through him, but he also didn't know what to do. Should he reciprocate the affection? Or should he just accept it and keep quiet.

As he considered his options, the train stopped and more passengers got on, effectively taking away their privacy. Izuku figured that would be the end of their awkward yet not unwanted touching, especially when Shoto stood.

He was slightly shocked when Todoroki kept hold of his hand and tugged him down the aisle, leading him back the way they came. "Shoto?" he asked hesitantly.

"Our stop is coming up; we need to rejoin the others," Todoroki responded, though he thoroughly planned on finishing his confession as soon as they were alone again.

* * *

The group got off at Kamino Ward and Kirishima was already revving to go. It was only when Momo stated that the villains knew what they looked like that he seemed to calm down.

Todoroki tried not to look when Izuku crossed his arms over his face, muttering 'stealth mode'.

"You're standing out even more, Midoriya" he responded. But what he really meant was, 'could you please stop being so freaking adorable so that I can focus'.

When Momo suggested they go get disguises, Shoto saw the perfect opportunity to finish that talk with Izuku. "We'll follow you in just a moment…" He stated, grabbing the teen by the arm and leading him away.

Iida looked like he might say something, but Kirishima intervened, quickly dragging him and Momo into the store with a knowing nod towards Todoroki.

"We should really pick out what we're going to where before someone recognizes us…" Midoriya whispered, trying to pull away from Shoto, albite weakly.

"I… I still need to talk to you…" Todoroki responded, successfully pulling them both into the darkness of the alley.

"About what? I already told you everything is okay between us… I don't know what you want from me, Shoto. You said you loved me but couldn't be with me. Then you kissed my cheek a few minutes ago and I…" Midoriya trailed off, his eyes already brimming with tears once more.

Todoroki was aware of what his inability to show a little self-discipline and restraint was doing to Midoriya, but he couldn't help himself. He pressed the teen back against the brick wall, one hand on his cheek and the other gripping his waist tightly.

Shoto's breath ghosted over Izuku's lips, coming out frosty from his quirk trying to cool his overheated body. He stayed there, waiting to see if the boy would push him off or not. When the teen didn't, he leaned forward the rest of the way, locking their lips together.

Midoriya melted into the kiss, running his fingers over the boy's forearm that still held him in place by the hip, all the way up to his chest. He fisted the boy's white shirt tightly, parting his lips and moaning softly when Shoto accepted the invitation. He loved how he still tasted like sweet snow.

Todoroki lifted Midoriya off the ground, pinning him back to the wall even harder. He broke the kiss and trailed his lips down the boy's throat, sucking gently on the rapid pulse. "Izuku…" he groaned, grinding himself forward when the teen's legs wrapped around his waist.

Midoriya rubbed his face into Shoto's hair, hands roaming behind the boy's neck so that he could hold him close. It felt wonderful to have the dual user between his legs, kissing down his neck and shuddering against him.

"I want you so badly…" Shoto whispered into Izuku's collarbone, biting the area lightly right afterward.

Midoriya tilted his head back to give Todoroki more access, already panting in arousal. It was even more exhilarating knowing they were just feet away from the street; anyone, including the rest of their group, could come and catch them.

"I've already said that I'm yours…" Izuku breathed, his eyes fluttering back into his skull.

Shoto let out a pained whimper then, catching the teens lips once more in a sweet kiss. "I know that…"

Todoroki gently set Midoriya back on his feet, pushing himself away so that they were at arm's length. The boy's face was still flushed, but he could see the sadness already starting to overtake the happiness that had been there moments before.

"I know that…" Shoto repeated, moving to cup the teen's cheeks so that their eyes met. "But I need you to know that I feel the same way towards you."

Midoriya hiccupped and smiled slightly, pushing Shoto's hands off his face and yanking him towards him once more. He could feel Todoroki tensing against his lips and knew exactly what was coming. Before the teen had a chance to repeat the same things that had been said at the training camp, he spoke first.

"It's okay, Shoto… As long as I know you love me back and want to be with me then I can wait as long as you need me to."

Todoroki shook his head, letting the teen hold him in his scarred arms as he fought back the urge to cry. "I haven't even given you a reason for having to wait for me." He responded, the familiar guilt and fear he'd felt building in his chest once more.

Midoriya placed a sweet kiss on Shoto's sternum, nuzzling the area gently. "I love you, Shoto… If you have a reason why you can't be mine now, then that's good enough for me. You can tell me when you're ready."

* * *

Bakugo sat tied up in the villain's bar, putting on his best poker face. It wasn't too hard since he was actually incredibly angry, but even he wasn't so bold to not be the tiniest bit afraid. His mind was fighting with itself.

With his hands bound with metal, he couldn't fire off explosions. But even if by some miracle they were released, he wouldn't actually be able to take down so many enemies by himself, especially not with the warp quirk user around.

Katsuki knew he wasn't the type to just roll over though; he'd fight back if given the chance and probably die trying to escape. The only thing that made him hesitate about doing such a thing was the look Kirishima would have after being told about it.

He hated it whenever Eijiro's usually brilliant smile would fall, especially if it was because of something he'd done. _"But he'd understand, wouldn't he? He'd know that it wasn't because I didn't fucking care about him, right?"_

The news flashed on the TV and showed Eraserhead being slammed by reporters, Shigaraki quick to point out that heroes were losing support. Bakugo snickered at the idea, not swayed in the slightest by what was going on around him.

Katsuki was the epitome of a hard-ass wrapped around a soft, gooey core. At first, all he wanted was to be the uncontested number one hero, and that was still very true. But now, after falling so hard for Kirishima, all he wanted to be **his** hero.

Becoming a villain would mean having to give up Kirishima's adoring face whenever he set off one of his massive explosions, and that was simply not something he was willing to do. He sneered at Tomura when the man offered to make him part of the League.

They could do whatever they wanted to him, but he'd never give in. His mind was made up as soon as they took the restraints off of him. He'd rather die as the hero Kirishima told him he was than even pretend to go along with their little games.

He swung and hit Tomura with a small blast, knocking the dismembered hand mask from his face. "I'll never join your League of Bastards!" Bakugo shouted confidently, crouching down with his hands ready to go.

But Shigaraki was eerily calm… very different from the man-child like behavior he'd displayed during the attack on the USJ. It made the blonde's skin crawl slightly, knowing that it would be much harder to get away if the villain was actually using his head this time.

Katsuki did his best to keep up his brash and bold defiance, analyzing the situation and his odds as well as thinking about Kirishima. _"I can do this…I've fucking got to so I can kiss that damn beautiful bastard again…"_

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 ***Coughs Awkwardly* I hope that wasn't TOO bad ya'll… Seriously! Lol… I'll probably have some of Bakugo actually being saved in the next chapter and then… Dorms. Oh, Dorms will be so much fun to write because, fuck yes… Izuku and Todoroki are going to get ~close~ and BakuKiri need to have some really nice 'I am so glad your okay' smut.**

 **Please, leave me a review! I'm a desperate person who craves that sweet attention from you all, my readers!**


	15. Chapter 15

A little of this... A little of that... This chapter will be a mix for a lot of people I think lol!

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 15

Just as the group thought that everything would be fine with Bakugo and the League of Villains, the building exploded revealing a man that emanated death itself. All the five of them could do was stand helpless and frozen as he levitated above them.

His voice was calm as he spoke to the injured but still determined number four hero, Best Jeanist. He didn't even seem flustered by the chaos surrounding him; the destroyed buildings and unconscious bodies of Pros like Mount Lady, Tiger, and Gang Orca.

The villain made quick work of Best Jeanist next, hitting him hard in the gut with some type of quirk, blood spewing from the newly opened wound. It made is so much worse that he'd done it by just raising his finger.

For all Midoriya and his friends knew, the four pros and all the surrounding people were now dead and they were likely next. They stood in a row, sweating and near tears with fear, unable to move as they watched the personification of evil and death examine the carnage.

But then Bakugo's choking breathing met their ears, and Midoriya immediately started trying to figure out what to do. He told himself that being scared wasn't an excuse, but his mind wouldn't cooperate.

Izuku could feel Todoroki trembling beside him, his usually steady hand shaking against his. It seemed like he was the only one who had been able to overcome their fear enough to move yet, so he twisted. All at once, Iida partially snapped out of his stupor, reaching over Todoroki to grab him.

Midoriya could see the panic on his comrades faces, their unbridled terror making him even more unnerved. Only he was able to calm down enough to think after All Might showed up, though his plan took a while to come into his head.

"We can still get Kacchan back!" he explained, urging his group to listen to him. Iida and the rest of them knew they couldn't fight; even if they had their licenses they'd be nothing but dead weight in a battle with this caliber of villain.

Todoroki looked at Midoriya, taking in the determination and hope that had sprung up on his face even after they'd experienced such a terrible shock from what they'd seen. He was still pale and near fainting with fear, but he would always trust the mossy-haired teen. "Tell us your plan."

"Well, the thing is. It depends entirely on Kacchan…" Midoriya admitted, looking at his hands worriedly. He explained his worry to the group before turning to the redhead with deadly seriousness. "So, Kirishima, you're the key to this being a success."

Eijiro's eyes were wide, understanding just how high of a chance they had of failure. Bakugo was prideful to the very core and he might very well ignore their one chance of helping him if he felt like they were pitying him.

As Todoroki asked Midoriya for details, Kirishima thought about just how badly he'd beat Katsuki himself if the teen refused to grab his hand. If Bakugo didn't do it for him, then he wouldn't do it for anyone. He hardened himself more than he ever had before, determined to be an unbreakable bulldozer.

Shoto, in turn, took a deep breath as Iida and Midoriya grabbed onto Eijiro. The plan seemed perfect, but he knew it was still a huge gamble. If Bakugo didn't grab on it was all for nothing, but even worse, the Master Villain was incredibly dangerous and had taken down four pros without trying.

It wasn't hard to imagine him blowing them straight out of the sky before they could get away safely or figure out that the ice ramp he was going to make came from where he and Momo were hanging back. But Izuku looked back at him, giving his determined wobbly smile and he knew there was nothing he could say to change his mind.

All he could do was make the biggest ice ramp his body could possibly create and hope for the best. Without wasting any more time, they launched their plan.

"BAKUGO!" Kirishima screamed, reaching out his hand behind him and pleading with his fearful red eyes.

In an instant, Katsuki was propelling himself towards them, grasping his lover's hand with a brilliant smile. "You idiots!" he called back, unable to take his eyes off of Eijiro even as the teen turned back around to continue with their plan.

* * *

The first thing Midoriya did once they landed and squeezed their way into the crowds was call Todoroki to make sure he was okay, breathing out a heavy sigh when the teen answered and said he and Momo were with other evacuees.

He desperately wanted to tell him how much he loved him, but Iida was panting next to him and he knew that Todoroki wouldn't want Momo overhearing anything either. Besides, he knew he had other things to worry about at that moment.

Most notably was All Might fighting in what looked like a death match with All For One, the very villain that he would have to take on should his idol fail. Unlike everyone else, he knew just how dire the situation was going to get with One For All already burning out of the once mighty man.

As he watched the battle unfold though, Midoriya couldn't help but notice the tension building between Kirishima and Bakugo as well. Since they'd landed, Katsuki had pointedly avoided touching the redhead, his initially ecstatic demeanor shifting into one of agitation and solemnness.

Izuku knew that it was likely caused by the blondes own worry over All Might, and he figured that Eijiro was doing his best to understand the avoidance too. But he could also see how Bakugo nearly recoiled whenever Kirishima got near him.

Midoriya hadn't ever experienced what the redhead had as Todoroki had never been kidnapped by a bunch of bloodthirsty villains, but he did know what it felt like to be denied by the person he loved. It must have been that much worse for Kirishima to have been so worried about Katsuki only to have him still refuse to show that he loved him in front of other people.

As the battle raged on though, he focused more and more on what was happening with All Might, deciding he'd help Bakugo and Kirishima later.

* * *

After having a tearful moment with Tsu, Midoriya went up to his room and stood just inside the door, leaning his back against it. He sighed and pushed off, preparing to head to bed like he figured everyone else was.

A rapping drew his attention and he smiled, pulling it open to find the person he was thinking about on the other end. "Come in…"

Todoroki nodded and walked in clicking his tongue loudly. "How do you sleep with All Might staring at you from every single direction? Most of this stuff wasn't even in your room at home…"

Izuku blushed and giggled, pushing Shoto gently as he headed to sit on his bed. "It's not that bad! Besides, your room is so subdued looking! How can you stay awake in it?"

The dual user smiled and sat down beside him, the two falling into silence. As comfortable as they were, there was still a noticeable tension as well.

"How are you doing after hearing about All Might's retirement?" Todoroki finally asked.

Midoriya slipped his hand into Shoto's, squeezing it slightly for support. He still couldn't tell anyone about his connection to the Number 1 Hero and thus couldn't share the weight of what had just fallen on his shoulders either.

It was hard knowing that it was his turn to become the next Symbol of Peace when he felt so completely unready for the job; he couldn't even control half of the power he'd received yet and Toshinori's retirement was sure to incite villains to attack.

"It's… it's been really hard. You know how close we are… I just don't want to let him down when he's believed in me."

Todoroki hummed in understanding. He fully believed the confession Midoriya had given him during their talk at the training camp, but there was a feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake… a whisper in the back of his mind that there was something Izuku wasn't telling him.

He repressed the intrusive questions and instead tried to focus on the problems that were right in front of him. Izuku was undoubtedly stressed by everything going on with All Might and the League of Villains looming around. He knew that if they were together he could provide so much more support than what he could give as an acquaintance.

"I don't want to wait to date you, Izuku," Shoto stated, keeping his eyes forward so that he could keep his emotions more under control. "But my father has forbidden me from even being your friend."

"But I don't care-"

"You should care!" Todoroki interrupted. "He threatened to have you blacklisted from every major Hero Agency that he could. He could take away your dream of being the next Symbol of Peace before you even got out of UA! Don't you understand? I couldn't do that to you after hearing how desperate you were just two years ago!"

"Shoto…" Midoriya cooed, slowly twisting and straddling the boy's lap. He rubbed at the teen's collarbones and at his neck soothingly, hating that Todoroki was almost in tears. "Why didn't you just tell me that's what was wrong sooner?"

The dual user turned his head away, his whole body tense. "Because… I'd be putting you in a position where you might have to choose between me and your dream. I know how selfish it is, but I couldn't deal with you not picking me. And I wouldn't be able to be happy knowing you gave up something you'd always wanted just to be with me either. So I didn't let you have the choice."

There was a moment where nothing happened, and then all at once Midoriya tossed his head back and laughed, clutching his stomach as it shook. He wiped the amused tears from the corners of his eyes and saw Todoroki staring at him like he'd grown two heads.

"You're human, Shoto; It's okay to want things for yourself," He explained. "Besides… I've come this far with just about everything stacked against me. I'm going to be a hero no matter what anyone says or does; even Endeavor."

"You can't be a hero without an agency and my father is now the Number 1 Hero. He could use his considerable influence and money to keep you blocked out… he's done it before."

"So, I make my own agency! Or I work like any other civilian and do hero work in my free time until the media helps me weasel my way into an established one. I'll have a license so it's not like I can't be a hero at all." Midoriya argued, completely undeterred by his crushes warnings.

"I'm not willing to take that risk just because nothing scares you… I can't be the reason for your life being harder than it needs to be."

Izuku bit his lip, his mind flying as fast as it could go to find a compromise. "What if we keep our relationship secret? Like Kacchan and Kirishima are. The only reason we know about them now is that they said something so… why not us?"

"We have the most intrusive group of friends I've ever met. Someone will find out and then my father will as well."

"I can keep a secret when I really need to, Shoto, and I know that you can too. We'll be careful and if you think your dad suspects anything then we can break it off until his threats aren't a problem anymore… okay? I already said I'd wait for you and I'm not going to change my mind." Midoriya stated, leaning in as he spoke.

He tangled his fingers in the back of Todoroki's hair, capturing his lips in a slow kiss. The dual user hesitantly returned the affection, losing his nervousness and wrapping his arms around the teen's slim waist.

Midoriya trailed nips and kisses down Shoto's neck, slipping his hands up under his shirt and feeling his smooth skin. He giggled slightly when he could feel the temperature difference between the teen's left and right side.

Shoto flipped them around and pressed Midoriya down into his pillows, settling himself between his legs heavily. "You make me feel so out of control," he breathed, grinding his hips down a moment later.

Izuku gasped and shuddered, locking his ankles together around the teen. They kissed again heatedly, running their hands all over each other's bodies.

Todoroki pulled back slightly, panting for breath just as hard as Midoriya was. He gave him one last sweet, gentle kiss before sending frost all over both of them, hissing as it reached his groin. "We have training tomorrow…" he explained, smirking at the pouting glare on his love's face.

Izuku groaned in displeasure but had to agree. It was already late and they were in new territory between them… they could wait and take their relationship slower.

* * *

Kirishima was laying in bed awake after the dorm room contest and talk with Tsu, still staring at his phone. Since their group had saved Bakugo, the blonde had yet to return any of his calls or texts. The only interaction Eijiro had with him was when he was given his money back for the night vision scope.

It bothered the redhead that he was being pushed away, but that was normal. What was really making him nervous was how calm and quiet Katsuki was being. They never really fought, but if something was bothering him it usually came out as a cruel yet untrue remark being shouted at the top of his lungs.

He bit his lip nervously but started typing just as he had every morning and every night.

 **[Kirishima]:** Hey babe… I missed you tonight during the room contest. We should go out this coming weekend; just the two of us. I love you so much! Goodnight!

 **[Bakugo]:** Since my avoiding you hasn't made it clear—We. Are. Done. I'll give you your shit back tomorrow and you can just toss whatever stuff I left at your place.

Eijiro sat up quickly, his chest feeling like he'd taken one of Katsuki's explosions without using his hardening quirk to protect him. He started writing out questions, insults, and pleas as fast as his fingers would move, but then stopped just before he hit send.

He sobbed quietly and deleted them all, retyping a different message before throwing his phone away and dropping his head into his knees.

 **[Kirishima]:** It would be really unmanly of me to not accept your decision if that's what you really want. Sorry for not taking the hint earlier.

Bakugo growled to himself in his own room, annoyed that his phone had pinged again. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, prepared for the long list of questions that Kirishima would ask and the multi-paragraph essay on how 'unmanly' it was to break up with someone over text.

When he clicked on the icon and read the message though, he furrowed his brows. He had expected a lot, but not acceptance. Knowing that Eijiro so easily let him go made him feel sick to his stomach and filled him with indescribable sadness. He set his phone back on his nightstand and curled up on his side.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Okay so, firstly, I apologize! I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted for this story. My nervous system (both central and autonomic) is failing, so I've been in and out of the hospital for the past week and was trying to pack/move my sick ass back in with my grandma two weeks before that. Now, my grandma is in the hospital because she broke her hip (she's 90 ya'll). So… It's wild over here and I'm so sorry! Also… still trying to figure out where the hell I'm going with this story lol**

 **Secondly, PLUS ULTRA!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 16

Midoriya stood quietly while Aizawa was explaining their newest objective: signature moves. Everyone seemed especially excited for this part of their training and deep down, he was too. But he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with self-doubt and worry.

The doctor had let him know that injuring his arms that severely even two more times would result in their permanent paralysis and he had nowhere near complete control of his quirk. With how prone to life-threatening situations he was, Izuku knew that he had to think of something completely new or risk losing his dream forever without the potential for another chance.

His eyes flickered over to Todoroki and then away, wishing that he could go over and hold his hand for support even though he knew that he couldn't. _"How do Kacchan and Kirishima do this?"_ He wondered, realizing now how difficult it would be to keep his emotions in check around prying eyes.

As if a loud alert went off in his mind, he remembered that Bakugo and the redhead had been acting strangely directly following the rescue mission, though he hadn't given it much thought since then. Izuku looked over at Katsuki first, examining his confident and excited demeanor.

He almost chuckled, finding nothing out of the ordinary there. But once he looked over to Kirishima, his prior worry returned in full force. To just about anyone else, it would look like the redhead was just as pumped as the rest of their classmates, but Izuku could see the tenseness in his posture—the way he stood on the opposite side of their group away from the BakuSquad and Katsuki himself.

As they all headed in separate directions following the conclusion of Aizawa's bored explanation and instructions, he followed after the redhead. "Hey! Kirishima!" he called, jogging slightly to catch up with him.

"What's up Midoriya! Come for some manly advice on a cool new technique?" Eijiro replied, hiding his devastation from the night before behind a bright smile.

"I just wanted to thank you, you know… for being so supportive and encouraging us to go after Kacchan. I'm sure he was happy to be with you again." Izuku stated skillfully, noticing the forced light-hearted attitude. He'd used it himself many times before and knew when someone was bullshitting him with fake happiness.

Kirishima's smile faltered some, barely able to hold back how much he was hurting. "I… Uh… Well, you're welcome. I'm just happy he's back you know…"

Izuku frowned slightly, really not liking how the redhead was behaving. "You don't really seem all that happy."

Eijiro finally lost the battle against his emotions, tears welling into his eyes as he shifted from foot to foot. "I am happy he's back and safe" he insisted, his voice confident before it gradually started to shake. "It's just he decided to break up with me and I don't know bro… Kats—Bakugo and I kept our relationship secret so I guess we really aren't changing much but whenever I'm alone or I go to check my messages or I get bored… I have to remember that we aren't together anymore and it hurts."

Midoriya was expecting turbulence of some kind from the quick analysis of Kirishima's behavior, but he was not ready for that. His jaw dropped slightly, knowing just how worried the redhead had been about Katsuki only to have him throw that deep, scared love right back in his face. "He what? When? Why?"

"It's cool bro…" Eijiro responded, shaking his head with a wobbly smile even as tears threatened to slip from his eyes. He sniffed back his emotions, clearing his throat to signify the end of their conversation. "Anyway… I hope things are getting better with you and Todoroki; I'm rooting for you two!"

Izuku watched as the redhead turned with a deflated wave and headed off to train in a more isolated part of the large arena, feeling his own heart throb painfully. He knew what it felt like to be rejected by Todoroki and that had been awful, but he also had dealt with Bakugo rejecting him as well.

At least Shoto had been nice about it. He couldn't imagine how painful it would be to have Todoroki—the boy he loved with all his heart—reject him in a cruel manner as he assumed Bakugo was doing to Kirishima.

He wondered if he should bring it up with Katsuki or not… whether it was his place. Midoriya rubbed his now aching temples slowly, hoping that he could get some alone time with Todoroki that night to sort through everything he was feeling.

* * *

Izuku grumbled face first into his pillow after having spent the entire day coming up empty for what to do for his 'signature move' and how to best help Kirishima and Kacchan through whatever mess they were in.

He heard his balcony door click open and knew exactly who it was; he smiled tiredly and raised his head, gazing at Todoroki with a soft expression. "I've missed you."

"You spent all day in the same room as me," Shoto responded as he walked over, but he felt the same way. They'd only decided the night before to go ahead with their relationship while also keeping it secret and it already felt like it had been too long.

Midoriya pouted out his lower lip and huffed, rolling to his back so that Todoroki could climb in the bed next to him. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, his exhaustion only growing when the teen's warm arms wrapped around him. "I could stay here forever…" he groaned.

"Hm… I agree though I'm not sure it would be worth Aizawa's wrath if we were caught." Shoto chuckled, nuzzling his nose into the boy's curls. "You'd be forced to do extra physical training for weeks."

Midoriya shivered at the thought, curling into Todoroki like the teen would be able to protect them from their teacher. He kissed at the boy's Adam's apple, grinning when it bobbed as Shoto swallowed. His happiness started to waiver, however, when his mind returned to Eijiro's predicament.

"Shoto…" he sighed, pushing himself up so that he could look down at his boyfriend. He sighed when Todoroki brushed some of his unruly hair behind his ear, leaning into the touch.

"What's the matter, Izuku? You aren't regretting our decision are you?"

"No! It's nothing like that" he assured, kissing the boy's heated palm softly. "It's just… Kacchan broke up with Kirishima and I don't know what to do about it."

Todoroki frowned, the anxiety that had clouded his eyes shifting to confusion. With how the redhead had talked about Bakugo before they went on their foolish yet successful rescue mission he was certain that they were in love.

Not that he had any right to say anything about Katsuki's choice; after all, he'd denied Izuku even though he loved him too. But, he'd only done so because his father had threatened his love's future, so, he wondered what the blondes reason could be.

"I know it's your base instinct to interfere when you see someone is hurting, but, are you sure it's a good idea to get in the middle of Bakugo's and Kirishima's romantic troubles?"

Midoriya sighed, returning his face to the crook of Shoto's neck as he shook his head. "No," he murmured, "I'm not even sure that it would help if I did. I mean… Kacchan's always been stubborn when it comes to the choices he makes and I doubt I could talk him out of it if even Kirishima can't."

"Then why are you so upset over it if your interference won't change anything?"

"Because I want to make it better! I've only known they were together since our first night at the training camp, but, looking back I can see how perfect they are for one another. It just doesn't seem right to let it go and hope for the best knowing what I know about Kacchan and their relationship."

Todoroki couldn't help but smile even as he sighed. Midoriya was just too good-hearted and sensitive for his own good. Being a hero was obviously a good choice for him since he was so driven to help people but Shoto couldn't help but worry about what could go wrong in the future. Izuku needed to be able to let go of things when he couldn't do more.

"Maybe give them a few more days to work things out on their own… I agree that they are a good match and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stay away from you. Perhaps Bakugo will feel the same way towards Kirishima and change his mind."

Midoriya squeezed his boyfriend tightly, the nervous anxiety pooling in his chest easing some from being near Shoto and hearing his opinion. "You're probably right…"

* * *

 _ **~Meanwhile~**_

"You know, Aizawa, when you offered to take me out for a drink while we were going to see parents about the updated dorms this was not what I thought you meant," All Might chuckled as he sat down in the school's security room.

"You can call me Shouta if you want to, and besides, this is far more entertaining than any loud bar would be." The man responded, handing his companion a cup of tea and a bowl of popcorn. His dark eyes flickered to the many screens, flipping through the video camera feeds until he found the Class 1-A dorms.

All Might grinned, covertly staring at Aizawa's face in the dimly lit room. He looked so different with his hair pulled back and face shaved… beautiful even. "Then you can call me Toshi! So, how exactly is snooping on our student's entertainment?"

The younger man pointed to one of the screens, almost smirking when Toshinori's jaw dropped. They had a clear view of the balcony's of each students rooms and could see Todoroki using his ice to slide down to Midoriya's room, his behavior beyond suspicious as he snuck inside.

"You're not serious…" All Might gasped, his sunken in eyes almost bulging at what the feed was insinuating.

"Well, we can't ever be sure since the cameras are only in the halls and outside the buildings, but, I'd say a little intuition goes a long way," Aizawa responded, sipping on his tea.

"This is how you came up with who got paired with who on the finals isn't it? You watched their behavior in class and then how they acted when they thought no one was looking."

The raven-haired man nodded, feeling his ego and pride soar from the awe in his friend's voice. "I won't deny that I find meddling with their personal affairs fun, but it also helps me know how to navigate their problems. For instance, watch camera two."

All Might turned his gaze to the screen, examining how Kirishima broke off from his friends to go to his own room, taking a moment to rest his head on the door and breathe deeply before opening it and stepping inside with his head hanging low.

"Now camera five" Aizawa stated.

Toshi did as instructed and watched as Bakugo's bold grin fell once he too broke off from the 'BakuSquad', his proud shoulders slouching when he thought no one was there to watch. "Those two as well?"

"Not anymore apparently… Now, I could chalk it up to a teenage romance that burnt out on its own, or, I could look at it more closely. Their behavior was entirely different before Bakugo's kidnapping so this could be indicative of a much larger psychological issue with him."

All Might sat back in his chair, completely taken aback by how seriously his coworker took his job. "And you do this every night?"

"Hardly," Aizawa chuckled, the sight making Toshi's heart skip a beat. "I only come and do this when I notice something in class that I think might have a significant impact on my student's training and development. I hope you don't mind such an odd place for hanging out."

All Might blushed and shook his head, scooting his chair a little closer. "I admire your dedication to training the future heroes! You fully exemplify what it means to be Plus Ultra!" he stated, though in his mind he was thinking _"And you're so cute doing it…"_

Shouta gave another tired smile, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks flushed slightly. The past several months had really made them grow closer, their relationship going from off-put coworkers to friends, and now to something completely unknown.

His smile fell though when All Might coughed, the handkerchief he always kept on him forever discolored with old blood stains and fresh ones. "You should have stayed home if you weren't feeling well Toshi…"

The blonde just waved off his concern though and bit back the urge to grimace from the metallic taste in his mouth. He sipped his tea again, blue eyes peering over the edge of the cup at the unconvinced expression on his crushes face.

There was sadness in Aizawa's eyes, like he knew his 'true form' wasn't even the worst part of what was happening with him—like he'd figured out that he was dying. "It's nothing to worry about…" he lied, hoping that he could get the man to smile once more.

Shouta's dark eyes side glanced at All Might piercingly. He reached out his hand and slipped it into his companions, lacing their fingers together. "Being a Wallflower has its perks as I've told you before. I know you're still losing strength and after watching your battle with All For One, I know you don't have much longer. But... I'd like to share what little time you have left with you if you're interested."

Toshi's face lit up with a blush that could rival Midoriya's even though his expression was solemn, his frail finger's tightening around Aizawa's. "I… I am interested… But Shouta, if you know about my life expectancy then why— just take it from me when I say that time is precious. You don't want to waste it on someone with one foot in the grave like me."

The erasure hero shrugged, turning his eyes back to the screen nonchalantly as he pulled their still locked hands up to his lips and kissed the one he held. "You should pay attention so that you don't have to write your class agenda down on notecards. Untimely death or not, I'll make us spend every single date we go on in here if you don't step up."

All Might was entranced by the small, mischievous smile on Aizawa's profile. He'd never had a relationship before… always too caught up in being the Symbol of Peace to even try. But now, approaching his bitter end, fate had thrown him the amazing tragedy of falling in love when it was almost too late.

He wondered if he could really go through with letting himself and Aizawa go for something that was doomed to come crashing down far too soon. "You're sure about this?" he finally whispered, brows furrowed with worry and apprehension.

"I'd rather live the rest of my life feeling like I had something wonderful and lost it than regretting never having had it in the first place. Yes, I'm sure." Shouta responded, leaning over to kiss the blonde softly.

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 **Hehe… Thanks for reading this chapter… I know it was a bit slow and kind of sad but it will pick up again soon (especially since we need some more smut going on!) 😊 Please, tell me what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello friends!** **I'm suffering major writer's block with this story, but, I'm going to do my best!**

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 17

"Come in…" Kirishima called after hearing a knock on his door. He didn't immediately turn to see who it was though, too busy struggling through ideas for new signature moves to really care. He stuck the end of his pencil in his mouth, chewing on it as he attempted to focus.

"I brought the shit you left at my place."

Eijiro's sharp teeth snapped through the wood easily as he whipped around, shocked to see Bakugo standing awkwardly in his doorway with a large, neatly packed box.

"Ah? Are you trying to choke to death?" Katsuki snapped, stomping over and holding his hand out beneath the redhead's chin. "Well? Fucking spit it out already shitty-hair."

Kirishima did as he was told, using his tongue to push the part he'd bitten off onto Bakugo's waiting palm since he couldn't get it to form words. His whole mouth had gone completely dry, eyes burning as he tried to control the urge to cry. "Uh… set it anywhere…" he finally mumbled, turning back in his chair to continue writing.

The blonde threw away the chewed eraser and set down the box in Eijiro's closet, covertly taking a deep breath in through his nose so that he could suck in his now ex-lovers sweet scent. The tension in the air was thick, the room far too quiet to be Kirishima's. Bakugo wasn't sure he'd ever been around the boy before without getting an overly-friendly greeting.

He glanced around the room, seeing it for the first time since he'd refused to go along with the dorm contest. The blonde felt his heart thump erratically in his chest, eyes searching for any of the things he'd given Eijiro or 'accidentally left' at his place, but there were none.

"Is there something else?" Kirishima asked quietly, refusing to look back at the explosive teen.

Katsuki felt his ears burn slightly in embarrassment, his voice coming out gruff. "Just double checking you don't still have any of my stuff…"

The redhead's shoulders seemed to slouch a little farther, his writing becoming darker as he pressed his pencil too hard against the paper. "You told me to throw it out."

Bakugo 'tsked', but it was weak and breathy. He hadn't actually believed that Eijiro would do it… much less within a day of being broken up with. The redhead was sentimental and mushy to his very core; it didn't make sense for him to have moved on that quickly.

"Right," Bakugo grunted, doing his best not to fidget.

A few more long, tense minutes stretched between them as Kirishima continued to sloppily write half-assed move ideas while Bakugo stared at his back. Eventually, though, the redhead huffed and threw his broken pencil down, twisting in his chair to glare back at his ex.

"I'm trying to do work, Bakugo. What do you want?" He snapped.

The blonde's awkwardness immediately shifted to anger, his hands clenching as they began smoking. "What did you just call me?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes. He stomped up to the boy's chair and grabbed his collar, yanking him to his feet.

"I called you by your name, Ba-ku-go," Kirishima stated, glaring back just as hard. He knew that using the boy's last name would get to him; he hadn't done that in private since before they started dating.

"Eijiro…" Katsuki growled lowly, dragging him closer so that he could get right in his face. He didn't need to say anything else, the smug look Kirishima was giving him said it all. His hands crackled ominously near the boy's throat, showing just how much their minimal conversation had gotten to him.

The redhead scoffed half-heartedly, using his own hardened hands to pry Bakugo off of him before shoving him away. "Just leave."

"Listen you shitty-haired—"

"No!" Kirishima shouted, tears finally springing into his eyes. "I want you to get out of here right now, Katsu!"

The blonde felt his throat clamp shut, his teeth grinding together as he fought with himself. His first instinct was to pull the boy he loved into his arms and kiss away the very obvious distress he was in but instead he growled and stomped away, slamming the door behind him.

He stood outside for just a moment, his feet refusing to take him another step away from Kirishima. He heard the barest hint of muffled crying, painful explosions popping in his chest right after. Katsuki turned and gripped the door handle, pausing once more. He rested his forehead against the wood, the sad sounding sniffles grating his nerves as they ricocheted around in his ears.

" _Don't do it. Walk away."_ He thought, the surge of discomfort in his heart only growing as he forced himself to go back to his own room.

* * *

 _ **~Time-Skip: Next Night~**_

Midoriya tossed and turned in bed unable to sleep as his mind kept spinning. Yet another day of training had gone by and again, he hadn't been able to come up with a signature move that would improve his chances of getting a provisional license.

What made it all worse was that he was concerned for his friends and still desperate for Shoto's attention. It wasn't like anything had really changed in the two days since they'd decided to date in secret, but, he didn't realize how hard it would be to weigh every action he made in Todoroki's presence to ensure it wasn't too obvious.

Izuku slapped both hands to his cheeks, dragging them down slowly with frustration. "If you don't sleep you won't be able to think properly" he groaned to himself, voicing the same thought that had been plaguing him for what seemed like hours.

He sighed heavily and drug himself from his covers, slipping out on to his balcony so that he could jump to Todoroki's without anybody knowing.

"Shoto…" he whispered, knocking lightly on the door.

His distress started dissipating almost immediately when he heard the boy's soft footsteps coming over, almost leaving him entirely when Todoroki let him in with a soft smile.

"You should be asleep, Izuku…" the dual user scolded lightly, taking his hand and leading him over to his bed.

Midoriya blushed, realizing he'd probably woken his boyfriend up from his own attempts at rest. He crawled in beside Todoroki sheepishly, snuggling into his warm left side like a little bunny. How could one person be so incredibly fit and firm yet soft and comfortable at the same time?

Shoto chuckled a little, wrapping his arm around Izuku and petting him gently. "You're adorable when you don't realize you're mumbling."

Izuku almost died of embarrassment on the spot, hiding his face in Todoroki's strong chest to try and pretend he hadn't just said that aloud. It didn't help of course, Shoto just rolled to his side and fully entrapped him in his arms, cooing into his hair about how cute his flustered-ness was.

The dual user nuzzled the soft curls until Izuku dared to peak up at him, his cheeks still glaringly rosy with pouty lips just begging to be kissed. He leaned down a little farther to do just that, his thumb rubbing along the edge of Midoriya's soft jaw slowly.

"Stay here with me tonight…" He breathed once they parted.

Izuku fluttered his eyelashes, staring deeply into Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes in the dim light. It never ceased to amaze him how beautiful Shoto was, especially when all of his walls were down and he could finally be himself.

"What if we get caught?" he asked, his nervous personality tugging in the back of his mind. He didn't really care if Aizawa found out since he'd likely just make them do extra chores or exercise, but, he wasn't entirely sure that their parents wouldn't be told.

Todoroki, however, didn't seem deterred. "I wake up early anyway; you can just back to your room before anyone else gets up. If we do get caught we can just tell the truth."

"What? No, we can't! Shoto your father would find out—"

"I meant that you were struggling with what to do for a signature move and came over to my room for advice and to get your mind off of it. That's true isn't it?" Todoroki interrupted, nudging the boy's nose with his own playfully.

Izuku grinned and gave the dual user a half-hearted scolding look, giggling when Shoto started pecking him all over his face. "Alright I'll stay!" he conceited, capturing the boy's lips with his own once more.

Todoroki drank in everything about Izuku and there little moments again just as he had the night he'd turned him away at the training camp. Even though he was young he was all too familiar with how easy it was to lose those closest to him.

"I love you so much, Izuku" he whispered, his heart fluttering just from the freedom to say what he'd been feeling for so long.

Midoriya kissed at the boy's sternum, completely comfortable and finally ready for sleep to come and take him. "I love you too, Shoto. And when I said I'd stay… I meant forever you know."

* * *

Endeavor paced back and forth in the dim light of his office, growling to himself every so many steps. When the Bakugo rescue mission had ended with All Might's retirement, he'd become the Number 1 Pro.

It had been his entire life goal to be the best, but, he knew his ascension to the top wasn't earned; he'd replaced All Might by default. It had been years since he'd fully come to terms with the fact that he would never outdo the Symbol of Peace, which is why he'd put all of his hopes into Shoto.

With the man retired, who would Endeavor push his youngest son to beat now? The thought made him incredibly angry and frustrated, his fire easily raising the room's temperature as it flamed around him. "Damn it…" he hissed, cursing the popular blonde with every ounce of hatred his large form contained. "This can't be how it ends. I won't let it!"

Just as he was about to throw a hellfire covered fist into his wall, however, he remembered the Sports Festival that his son had come in second place in. There were two obvious rivals that he could force his son to compete with.

"Of course" he sneered, a dark smile crossing his face. He quickly headed over to his computer, pulling up all of the information he'd had compiled on Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya, weighing their potential against his youngest son's.

The young explosive blonde was indeed powerful and calculating, his upper limits still unknown. But Enji knew that had Shoto used his fire during that last battle, he would have been victorious. Feeling confident that Bakugo wouldn't be a problem in his—or his son's—trek to success, he switched his focus to Midoriya.

Now there was a thorn in his side if he'd ever seen one. From Izuku's wobbly grin to his adorably innocent demeanor, he was already well on his way to being a fan favorite. Then there was the explosive power that so resembled his eternal rivals. It simply wouldn't do for his son to befriend someone he was born to crush.

Endeavor scrolled down on his computer screen, now reading every text that his youngest child had sent since his warning about seeing Izuku socially again. There was the message to the strange mini-All Might teens mother, but, other than that there didn't seem to be any communication between them.

He checked calls next, finding a short one from the night they had once again broken the law in order to save Bakugo, but, he let go of that as well since he'd already punished his son for 'embarrassing him and sullying the Endeavor brand'.

The Pro sat back in his chair, eyeing the data suspiciously. He'd had the app to get copies of everything Shoto did on his phone since the boy got one, but this was the first time he'd actually felt the need to use it. Up until this year, he hadn't even had someone to call or text other than Fuyumi and that was a rarity.

But that's what was so strange to him. Endeavor knew that his son had been alone for a long time and likely jumped at the chance of having a real connection to another living person. With how stubborn he was with just about everything else, he found it hard to believe that Shoto had simply given in and submitted to his orders.

Enji had been expecting a few sporadic messages and calls that would eventually tapper of as the dual user realized that he wasn't bluffing about blacklisting Midoriya. He tapped his fingers on the large table slowly, his paranoia only growing the more he thought about it.

He picked up his phone and dialed one of his personal assistants, ignoring the fact that it was already late at night and the girl was probably trying to sleep. As soon as she answered he began talking, his voice loud and demanding. "You have a degree with computers, right?"

"Uh... Y-yes sir…" she squeaked, her previous sleepiness leaving her. "What can I help you with Mr. Endeavor?"

"You're going to spend tomorrow linking my computer up with my son's. I want to be able to turn on his webcam from my home without him being aware." He responded matter of factly.

"Sir… I can't really… Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" the woman asked hesitantly, almost wincing in preparation for the tongue lashing she knew was coming.

Sure enough, Endeavors flames grew on his face, his hand starting to melt the plastic on his phone before he caught himself. "Shoto is a minor and the computer was bought with my money. They both belong to me and you will do as I've ordered or find yourself another place to work."

He slammed the phone down on its receiver right after, confident that she would do as he'd instructed without question or fuss in the morning. His blue eyes narrowed again as he went back to staring at the computer, his conscience thoroughly decimated after everything he'd already done to best All Might.

"Don't be foolish, Shoto… You will do what I could not; You are my perfect creation and I will not allow you to fail your purpose. If All Might is already retired, then you will crush that fanboy whose power so resembles that bumbling Symbol of Peace…" he muttered dangerously, meaning every word.

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 **Thank you for reading** **I hope you are still enjoying this story! The angst is probably going to pick up again! Please, leave me a review and I will do a happy dance! I love feedback so much!**


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